


Ghost in the snow

by Ischa



Series: Skin-verse [1]
Category: 30 Seconds to Mars, Bandom, My Chemical Romance, Supernatural, The Academy Is...
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural, Child Abuse, Crossover, F/M, Gen, M/M, Sexual Content, Shapeshifting, Violence, emotional incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-05
Updated: 2011-09-05
Packaged: 2017-10-23 11:04:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/249593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ischa/pseuds/Ischa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's an urban fantasy in which the Ways were raised by their grandmother after their parents died in a fire, they are also bonded/can read each other's minds and take to hunting after Helena dies. But this story starts in a parking lot with a hooker.<br/><i>“Can you read each others minds?” Gerard wants to know. He's curious, they never talked with any other siblings that could be like them.<br/>“What? No!” Jared laughs and then stops abruptly. “Oh, fuck me!”<br/>“Well...I know Gerard did,” Mikey says and then bites his lip.<br/>“Kinky,” Shannon throws in. It's actually the first thing he said so far. He lights a cigarette with his fingers and well...that is pretty cool too.<br/>“That is kinda really cool,” Gerard breathes. Mikey knows he is already sketching it in his mind so he can paint it later. When he has a few hours to spend on something that doesn't end in blood and gore. Oh well...at least not in <i>real</i> blood and gore.<br/></i>This has a crossover sequel - with the Winchesters...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ghost in the snow

**Title:** Ghost in the snow  
 **Pairing:** Bob/Emilie, mentions Gerard/Jared – mostly gen  
 **Rating:** NC-17  
 **Summary:** It's an urban fantasy in which the Ways were raised by their grandmother after their parents died in a fire, they are also bonded/can read each other's minds and take to hunting after Helena dies. But this story starts in a parking lot with a hooker.  
 _Gerard is washing the blood from his hands at a motel sink somewhere when his cell rings. His cell never rings except when it's Bob with something that just can't wait – like Doomsday. It happened more often than Gerard likes to think about._  
 **Warning(s):** violence, mentions of sexual abuse and rape, all things supernatural, sex, death (not of the main characters). Also: emotional incest somehow (bonded boys).  
 **Author’s Notes:** This is a Supernatural-AU. If you know Supernatural you won't find much of the plot here. I just took the basic idea (brothers fighting monsters) and ran with it. No angels, no demons, no angsty sacrificing, but it has the Leto brothers being awesome.  
 **Word Count:** 22.800  
 **Beta:** tygermine  
 **Disclaimer:** Don’t know, don’t own, not real

\---  
 **~0~**  
Mikey doesn't remember the fire that killed their parents, and Gerard doesn't talk about it.

~+~  
The first time Mikey becomes aware that something isn't quite right with them (and Gerard gives him a look every time he says it like that, because Gerard never thinks there is anything wrong with them, it's how they are) he is four and Gerard is nearly eight. They're sitting at the table in Helena's kitchen, and she isn't back from grocery shopping yet, and he thinks he really would like some cookies now and Gerard just gets up and gets them for him.

~+~  
After that incident, Mikey believes he has the power to control minds.

“You cannot control minds,” Gerard says and Mikey concentrates on pushing thoughts at him. “I'm not going to get you ice cream,” Gerard adds with a smile. Mikey knows he's just doing it to annoy him and he has no idea why he knows that. “Try it on Helena,” Gerard says and nods in her direction. She's in the kitchen preparing dinner. Mikey nods and pushes a thought at their grandma and nothing happens. She doesn't even look at him.

“She can't hear you,” Gerard says softly.

“But you can hear me,” Mikey answers.

Gerard shrugs. “I could always hear you.”  
Mikey doesn't know then what it really means.

~+~  
The truth, and he learns that much, much later, is that Gerard could hear him before he was born.

“Like a constant drum in my head,” Gerard admits when they are drunk and a bit stoned. Mikey is lying on Gerard's floor. Well, the floor of Gerard's room anyway.

“No words?” Mikey asks. He's thirteen and he knows much more than he thinks he should, because he never learned to shut Gerard out and Gerard never learned that either. Gerard's mind is like an unused part of his own. Like the west wing of the house he lives in.

“No, no words. I don't think you had any back then. Because you didn't know about things.”

“Hmmm...” Mikey answers. He isn't so sure about that, because by the time he was in his mom's belly Gerard was nearly four. _Gerard_ knew things.

~+~  
Mikey is 21 when Helena dies. He remembers every minute of her death, the funeral, and of the days after.

~+~  
Gerard is patting his pockets for his smokes, leaving red smears and spots on his ruined jeans. That's why he doesn't care at all right now. Killing a shapeshifter is really messy business. Even with a silver knife. He finds his pack and lights one. His fingers stained red. He sits down beside the corpse and inhales deeply, Mikey can see it perfectly in his mind's eye. The good thing about shapeshifters, is that they don't smell. They don't have a scent. Usually that’s what people find creepy as hell. It's unnatural. That's what it is and people always – on some instinctive level – stay away from things that aren't like they should be. It’s a hidden blessing, as all shapeshifters seem to be batshit insane.

 _I hope you lit one for me as well, fucker._ Mikey's voice in his head is amused. Gerard gets another cigarette out and lights it for Mikey. He waits until he can see his brother between the trees and then waves. Mikey rolls his eyes in his head. Gerard laughs. It echoes. “Do you want to kill us?” Mikey asks as he stands beside his brother with a canister of benzine.

“There is nothing dangerous here anymore,” he answers and then adds: “Expect for us.”  
Mikey nods and begins to pour the benzine over the corpse. It's always better to burn everything. Helena always said that and she was a smart woman.

“Matches?”

“Don't you have your own?” Gerard asks, he hands Mikey the cigarette and then the matches.

“Sure, somewhere. Maybe in the fucking car...” he takes them and they take a few steps back before Mikey lights one and throws it in the corpse’s direction.

They watch the carcass burn for a while and when it's only ash they scatter that as well. Everything can be brought back, Helena said. Mikey isn't sure about it, because he never saw it, but he is not stupid enough to bet on it. With his life, or his brother's.

“Done?” Gerard asks.

“Yeah...what are we gonna do now?”

“I want coffee and clean clothes,” Gerard mumbles.

Mikey laughs. It echoes loud around them. The night is dark here in the woods.  
“Come one then...”

~+~  
Gerard changes right there beside the road and Mikey doesn't look. He stares into the woods. It's not that he hasn’t seen Gerard half dressed or naked before, it's just that sometimes Gerard is too much. Because they are constantly sharing. Everything. Gerard throws his bloody cloths into the trunk and closes the lid. It makes a too loud sound here in the middle of nowhere. Mikey turns around then, smiles at his brother and slides into the passenger seat. He feels tired all of a sudden and knows that Gerard is too.  
“Maybe we skip the coffee for now and just find a motel,” he says and Gerard nods.

~+~  
He and Gerard are having whole conversations without a single word spoken. Helena was worried before she found out. Worried because by the age of five, Mikey wasn't talking at all. It wasn't necessary. Gerard was talking for him. Gerard always knew what he needed, always knew if he was hurt, if he was scared. Gerard knew everything and never used it as ammunition. He never thought there was anything wrong with that and he doesn't think that now either. It's handy. They are such good hunters because they don't have to talk. They are quiet like the air if they want to be. Like ghosts.

~+~  
Sometimes he can see snippets of Gerard's dreams. They aren't pretty. Mostly they’re about the fire. The one Mikey doesn't remember at all. There is a lot of smoke and heat and a woman screaming. Mikey is sure it's mom's voice, and in these few horrible seconds before Gerard becomes aware that Mikey is in his dream, can share it and wakes up, he is glad. Glad that he can at least hear her. Know how she sounded, even if it's in pain and loss and just shortly before she dies.

“Don't do that,” Gerard says quietly. His voice sounds wrecked. He is breathing in harsh puffs of air. Mikey can hear the blankets rustle as Gerard shifts to face him. Not that he can see much in the dark – not that he needs to know what Mikey is thinking.

“I can't help it. It's not as if I'm doing it for the fun of it,” Mikey whispers back. It's a left over habit from when they were kids and Helena would come around nine to say goodnight and tell them to just go to sleep. They never fell asleep before eleven.

“I know, I just wish...” he trails off. It's not like Mikey wouldn't know.

“I know. I just want to know her too.”

“I didn't know her long enough myself,” Gerard answers and it sounds bitter. Harsh in the empty darkness around them.

~+~  
They only took to hunting after Helena died. She never wanted this life for them. And Mikey knows why. It's not a good life as lives go.  
It's dangerous and lonely and most hunters die before they're even thirty.  
She never wanted this life for them, but she left them prepared for it.

~+~  
The first time Mikey kills something supernatural, it's kind of by accident. He doesn't mean to do it. It just happens. It is also up for debate if killing something that is already dead counts. The thing in question is a vampire. An ugly starved thing. It grabs at him on his way home and he kind of reacts by instinct- a quick, soft shove and it falls onto something sharp, pointy and wooden and the next thing Mikey knows, he's looking at a dead creature. It doesn't disintegrate into ash. The puddle of blood is pitiful. He feels coldly numb watching it and he only stops when he feels Gerard solid in his mind. Like an embrace – a warm, firm, ghost embrace.

“I'm okay,” he mutters. He is everything but and Gerard knows it, but his brother doesn't comment on it. Mikey is seventeen.

 _I'm coming to get you._ says Gerard's voice in his head.

“I'm okay,” he repeats, wrapping his arms around his shivering torso.

 _You're everything but..._

“I just killed...” Mikey shakes his head because he doesn't have the words.

 _It,_ Gerard says firmly in his mind. _It. It wanted to kill you. It was self-defense and it wasn't even human._

“It was starving, it needed blood...” Mikey answers.

Gerard sighs and sends pictures of sunshine and ice cream and mom on a Sunday afternoon in summer into his head. _Come home._ He whispers into Mikey's mind and Mikey nods.

“Okay.”

 

 **~1~**  
They get coffee and Mikey drinks it while he searches the web for another hunt. Something just doesn't sit right when Gerard says: _Hey...look over there._  
Mikey does. He follows Gerard's direction in his head. It's so easy to follow Gerard wherever he wants to go.

 _And?_ Mikey asks. He doesn't see what the big deal is here.

“You don't have enough coffee in your system yet,” Gerard says with a smile. Mikey rolls his eyes and then looks. Really looks.

A few yards away is a girl. She looks like a hooker. Mikey shrugs again. “You want me to watch a hooker?” he wants to know, taking another sip of his coffee.

“I don't think she's a she.”

“She looks real enough to me.”

Gerard smiles, but doesn't turn away. The girl looks uncertain and then her phone buzzes – they can't hear it, they only know because she takes it out – and she takes a call. After a short conversation she pockets her phone and knocks on a door.

“Someone gave her a room number,” Mikey says, his interest picked.

“Yep,” Gerard answers.

“You want to wait this one out, right?”

“Yes.”  
Mikey nods and takes another sip of the coffee. It's really awful coffee even with all the sugar and milk he added.

“Mind if I take the car and go find a Starbucks? I can't drink this.”

“Bring two. This isn’t fit for human consumption,” Gerard says, getting up from the hood of the car he was leaning against and over to the trash can. He takes Mikey's cup with him. Mikey nods a thanks.

~+~  
He's shaken and feels like his skin will come apart any second. He doesn't think he can do this much longer. The man above him grunts and comes and William thinks, thank fucking god (even if he doesn't believe in god anymore). He needs to get out of the room, he needs to get out of the fucking state.  
The urge to kill something is really strong. He shoves it away like always. The man's breath on his skin makes him want to scream or cry, but William hasn’t cried in a long time. Not since he was thirteen and all this started.  
Finally the man rolls over.

“You are so much better than I expected,” he says with a sadistic smile playing around his lips. William's wrists hurt where the rope cuts are too deep and his neck hurts where the man had tried to strangle him. He takes a deep, careful breath and counts to ten.

“You should untie me now,” he answers. His voice doesn't sound like his voice at all. It sounds like a petty girl's. He hates to be a girl. It's just not him. Everything feels kind of wrong.

“And what if I don't?”

“Everything after this costs extra,” William answers.  
The man sighs, but William is sure he is willing to pay. His handler would be fucking delighted. William not so much. He has had enough of this...this life.

“Next time,” the man says and brushes soft fingers against his lips while the other leaves a vicious and painful bruise on his hip.

~+~  
The girl limps when she comes out of the room. She looks wrecked and Gerard is up and on his way over to her before he can even think about it.

“You okay?” he asks, reaching out to her and she flinches away. He sees a bruise under her sleeve. It looks fresh and he kind of really wants to kill something. She smells like sweat and cheap perfume.

“Yeah...” she answers. Her eyes wide and unsure.

“You sure?” Gerard asks and she nods. “Okay...” he is about to turn away and just let it be, after all he is not here to save people from themselves – only from monsters, and then thinks about it and takes out his sketchbook. He writes his mobile number on the back of some vampire doodle and hands it over to her. “If you should need help? Just call.”  
She takes the piece of paper gingerly and nods. He is pretty sure she won't call, but he feels better knowing she has his number.  
Mikey doesn't give him shit for it later.

~+~  
William stares at the strange guy and then at the piece of paper in his hand. This is...something. He would like to say that it's nothing, but it isn't nothing. This is someone who wants to help. William nearly laughs. He is sure this guy wouldn't want to help something like him.  
Only creeps and perverts appreciate what he is and his parents (not his real parents – he doesn't know anything about his real parents) keep telling him exactly that. He is tempted to just throw the number away, but instead he folds it and puts it into his bra. With any luck his handlers (he can't call them parents anymore – not after all the shit he's gone through because of them since they found out that he is different) won't check his underwear before they lock him up in his room again.  
He pushes one on his phone and waits for it to connect.

“You done?” the voice on the other side asks.

“I'm done,” he answers.

“I'll be there in ten. Don't you dare wander off!”

“I won't...” William says to the static.

~+~  
“You wanted to help a hooker...” Mikey doesn't give Gerard much shit about it. Just a bit, because what he loves about Gerard is that he actually wants to help everyone. He even rescues kittens when he has the time to spare.

“She looked kind of lost,” Gerard shrugs behind the wheel of the Trans Am.

“She looked kind of pretty,” Mikey answers.

“That too. She smelled....”

“Like sex and cheap perfume. I know,” Mikey finishes his brother's sentence. “We can't save everybody.”

“I know, I just...she reminded me of Linda...” Gerard says.

Mikey knows that. She reminded him of Linda as well. Linda, the girl they couldn't save. The girl that got torn apart by a werewolf they were hunting a few months ago. A case of wrong time, wrong place. Gerard never forgets the name of someone they couldn't save and because Gerard doesn't forget, Mikey doesn't either. He doesn't say that it wasn't Gerard's fault, because Gerard knows that. He knows because Mikey knows, or maybe Mikey knows because Gerard knows. It doesn't really matter. Mikey reaches into Gerard's mind and sends pictures of daises and candy bars into his head. Like Gerard used to do when Mikey was upset about something when he was a kid. When they were kids.  
Gerard looks away from the dark road and smiles at Mikey. “You're such a dork,” he says, his voice soft.

“You love me and you know it,” Mikey answers.

 _Yeah, I do._

 

 **~2~**  
Gerard is washing the blood from his hands at a motel sink somewhere when his cell rings. His cell never rings except when it's Bob with something that just can't wait – like Doomsday. It happened more often than Gerard likes to think about. Or Bob for that matter. Mikey picks it up.

 _Unknown caller_ he says.

 _Might be one of Helena's old contacts, maybe?_ Gerard answers. It doesn't happen that often, but sometimes someone from their grandma's past finds them and well, they usually take care of whatever it is. Mikey makes a face. He kind of hates Helena's old contacts, they all want to pinch him in the cheek. The worst is Pastor Jim. He always prays for their souls, as if they weren't doomed already – the thing is, the Pastor doesn't know and he means well. Mikey sighs and takes the call.

“Way,” he says.

“Hi...I, some guy in a parking lot gave me this number?” the voice on the other side says.

“I'm sure you have the wrong number, dude,” Mikey answers.

“No wait! It was...he gave me this number on a piece of a vampire doodle?” the voice says. The guy sounds desperate. Mikey hands the phone to Gerard.

“I gave the number to a girl.”

“I know. I really need help, please...” the voice sounds scared and exhausted.

“What happened to her?” Gerard asks.

“She's fine,” the voice answers.  
Gerard doesn't really believe it, but he isn't going to argue with someone who sounds so fucking scared and so fucking young. Not now anyway.

“Where are you? I'm gonna pick you up as soon as I can,” Gerard says and waits until the boy gives him an address one state over. He scribbles it down and says: “We'll be there tomorrow morning. Wait for us. It's the Trans Am.”

“Okay...” the boy answers and hangs up.  
When the call disconnects and Gerard looks up from the page of his notebook Mikey gives him a look. “It's not like we have something better to do anyway,” Gerard says shrugging.

“I know. I'll pack our stuff, go and fill up the car.”

“Yes sir...” Gerard answers with a grin.

~+~  
The ride is quiet and long and they are driving too fast. Gerard blasts Misfits way too loud, too. He needs it to stay awake behind the wheel. Mikey tunes it out. He can do that after all these years with Gerard around.

~+~  
They arrive at dawn. The sun is just a hint in the pale sky and the rest stop looks like the kind no one should spend more than five minutes at.  
Mikey looks around and then gets out of the car as soon as Gerard stops in the parking lot.  
Gerard scans the area. Something shifts in the shadows. Mikey's head snaps in the direction. Years of training.

“It's okay, you can come out now,” Gerard says, his voice soft and persuasive. Mikey always thought Gerard would've been a great singer. _Not the time, Mikes_ Gerard throws in. Mikey nods, grinning. The shadow makes a careful move forward and when it steps into the pale morning light Gerard has to repress a gasp.  
 _It's way worse than I thought_ he comments.

 _No shit._ Mikey nods once in his brother's direction. _I think you should talk to him and I also think that we should get the fuck out of here and to a hospital or Bob's._

“Hey...hey, come here,” Gerard says. The boy looks uncertain. “We're here to help you. You called us, remember?” The boy nods. Gerard makes a few steps in his direction. Slow and careful because he doesn't want to scare the kid and he really isn't sure how the hell that kid is still standing anyway. There is blood fucking everywhere. “What's your name?”

“William...” the boy whispers.

“Okay, come here, we're gonna take you to a hospital.”

“NO!” William panics.

“Then to someone who can patch you up a bit?” Gerard asks. William takes a step back and Gerard bites his lip. “Listen, you can't stay here and we can't either...”

William nods again. “Okay...” he answers, his voice is wrecked and really quiet. Gerard suspects he can only hear it because it's so fucking quiet here. He can hear Mikey getting into the backseat of the car. He appreciates the gesture. He reaches a hand out and the boy flinches away slightly. Gerard really can't blame him.

“Can you make it to the car without help?” he wants to know.

“Yes,” William answers and takes a few steps. His hands are clenched into fists at his sides. Gerard is sure every step hurts like hell. What he can see isn't pretty and he really hopes that most of the wounds aren't too deep.

~+~  
The ride to Bob's is quiet as well. At least on the outside. William is pressed against the window so as not to touch Gerard.

 _I am really glad I can’t read his mind._ Mikey says.

 _Fuck. What the hell is wrong with the world?_

 _You know what is wrong with the world, that's why you're doing this, remember?_

 _Sometimes it's really hard to remember why I want to save people..._ Gerard answers bitterly.

 _He doesn't deserve that and we are here to make it right again._

 _I want to kill the people who did this to him._

 _I know._ Mikey replies and reaches over to brush his knuckles against his brother's neck.  
William glances over and then away again. He stares at the street in front of them and doesn't ask any questions.

~+~  
Bob is waiting for them, with his arms crossed over his chest at the front door.

“What did you do this time?” he asks, his voice gruff, but that doesn't mean anything. That's just Bob's modus operandi.

“We need you to fix someone for us. It's really bad,” Mikey says. Gerard nods. He's hovering by the car and waiting for William to get out. Mikey knows he wants to help William, but he doesn't want to touch him, because William seems pretty freaked out about anyone touching him. He only hopes that Bob can work his mojo on that boy.  
Bob nods once and waits patiently for William to leave the car. Something ugly and angry shifts over Bob's face for a second – maybe even less – and Mikey thinks that he's feeling exactly the same way. Gerard nods. _Me too._

~+~  
Gerard is making coffee in the kitchen when Bob comes back and collapses on a chair at the table.

“How bad is it?”

“I called Emilie,” Bob answers.

“That bad, hmm?” Mikey says. Bob nods and Gerard sets a mug of fresh coffee in front of him.

“I want to kill something,” Bob says after a while. Bob doesn't often say that he wants to kill something. Bob is more the zen type of hunter. Kind of retired with a cute girlfriend. He patches them up, gets them guns and cars and ammunition. And Emilie makes them amulets and gets them books and healing charms when they need them. They don't need them as much as other hunters – or that's what Bob keeps telling them. Mikey and Gerard don't actually know any other hunters. Except for Bob who doesn't hunt that much anymore. He's their steady rock. Their island. Their home when they need one.

“Me too,” Gerard admits. Mikey nods once. Sharp. Grim. Gerard doesn't particularly like that look on his brother's face.

“How did you find him?” Bob wants to know.

“He kind of found us,” Gerard says and Mikey adds: “Gerard gave a hooker his number a few weeks ago and that boy claims she gave it to him.”

“You trust him?”

“We trust no one but family,” Gerard answers, seriously. Bob nods.

“But he obviously needs help,” Mikey adds.  
Bob takes a sip of his coffee and then lights a cigarette. Gerard does as well. He figures if Bob can smoke in his kitchen, so can Gerard. Gerard usually avoids smoking in the kitchen, because Helena was against it. Old habits die hard.

~+~  
Emilie is all business when she enters the house. She nods once in their direction and kisses Bob briefly on the lips before she goes upstairs. They wait in the kitchen for her to come down. She isn't only a witch, she is also a doctor and she usually fixes people with the latter part of her abilities.  
She comes down half an hour later. She looks grim.

“I...” she trails off, her hands balled to fists on her side. Bob hugs her and she lets him.

“Will he be okay?” Gerard asks.

“I can fix the cuts and infections and broken bones. The cracked ribs too, but I have no idea...I don't even want to know to be honest, what else they did. What I know is too much already.”  
She doesn't say the words 'sexual abuse' or 'rape', but they're there. Loud and clear. So, she really doesn't need to say them.

“Are you guys staying?” Bob wants to know.  
Gerard looks over to his brother. They don't have anywhere to be, and honestly, he really wants to catch these bastards who had done this to William.

“Yeah, we're staying,” Mikey answers for them.  
Bob nods.

“I'm gonna make something to eat, what do you boys want?” Emilie asks.

“I really don't care. Everything you make is always delicious,” Gerard answers and Mikey rolls his eyes at him. _What? It's the fucking truth!_

 _Whatever. She's Bob's girlfriend, just...you have no chance here._

 _What the hell?_ Gerard laughs. Mikey grins.

“No telepathy in the house,” Emilie says with a smile. It's the sharp one, the one that means serious business.

“Everything is fine with us,” Mikey answers honestly. She nods once and makes them cut vegetables into tiny pieces. Sometimes she reminds Mikey of Helena.

 _Me too,_ Gerard says softly into his mind and Mikey smiles.

 

 **~3~**  
Gerard was kind of obsessed with vampires when he was a kid. It wasn't the romantic side of it that girls seem to favour – like they can't see that these things are killers – it was the immortality and the fact that they were killers and free to do what they wanted. It used to make Gerard talk for hours. He only changed his mind when he was nineteen. He was away with Pastor Jim and Mikey can only imagine what had happened. He suspects something like what had happened to him when he was seventeen.  
When he came back he put all the vampire books away and said: “You should never meet your heroes.” And that was that.

~+~  
William wakes up and the fear is a burning piece of _lead_ inside his stomach. He can't stay here. Not like this. He can't stay anywhere, is the thing. They'll find him. They always do. He sits up, carefully, because he's still in pain, even if it's better now. Now that his body – this unnatural body – is starting to heal itself again.  
He's at the door when it opens.

“Where do you think you're going?” a guy asks.

“I can't stay here,” William answers.

“That doesn't answer my question, boy,” the guy almost growls.

William bites his lip until it bleeds and shakes his head. It feels like it's stuffed with cotton. “They're gonna find me...they always do,” he mumbles. He feels like he'll pass out any second now.

“They won't. The house is protected,” the tough looking guy answers gruffly. “Want something to eat or drink?”

“Tea?” William asks hopefully. He has no plan and this guy doesn't seem like he wants to do him any harm. William remembers him. In flashes of pain and with the light of the setting sun behind him. “You're Bob,” he says.

“Yeah. This is my house. No one is going to get you out of here against your will,” Bob nods, but keeps his hands to himself. He doesn't even try to help William and William is really glad for it. He doesn't feel like touching anyone. He feels like he'll scream the house down if someone tried.  
It never used to be that bad before.  
He stumbles down the stairs slowly with Bob in front of him. A solid wall of calm.

~+~  
Mikey's mind nudges Gerard's and Gerard looks up from the book he was reading. Something about how to kill a demon for good. It seems more like a legend, but if Gerard should ever have the opportunity to dig out a demon's bones and salt and burn them, he sure as hell will try. Can't do any harm either. He shuts the book and nods in Bob's direction and then smiles at William.

“You down for coffee?” he asks.

“Tea,” Bob says.

“Really?” Gerard wants to know, something like slight disbelief in his voice. Mikey snickers.

“We aren't all addicts, Gee,” he says.

 _You aren't talking about yourself now..._ Gerard answers into his mind. Mikey laughs.

“No, I'm clearly not.”

“Boys, we talked about this?” Bob throws in on his way to the kitchen. William doesn't look at anyone. His eyes on Bob's back. A fixed stare, like he's used to looking down and never in the eyes. Like he's constantly afraid. Gerard balls his hands into fists.

 _I want to kill something, too._ Mikey's soft voice says. Gerard nods and relaxes his hands. It's harder than it should be. Mikey grabs his hand then and drags him into the kitchen.  
William is sitting at the table with a mug of herbal tea that smells like peppermint and raspberries. Gerard is nearly tempted, but he makes a beeline for the coffee in the end anyway.

“Emilie took this out of your body...” Bob says and puts the small chip on the table. It's harmless now and can't tell anyone where William is. Bob was disgusted when Emile brought it back. Every single one of them was.

“Oh...that's how they always find me,” William answers. His voice is soft and unsure. Quiet. He doesn't want to draw attention. Gerard takes a sip of his coffee and Mikey takes out the cigarettes. He lights one for himself and one for Gerard, hands it over. Gerard nods a thank you.

“You didn't know they planted a chip right under your skin?” Mikey asks.

William shakes his head. “Maybe I was out cold when they did,” he whispers. Bob takes a violent drag of his cigarette.

“I really want to make these people pay,” he says calmly. William looks up at him, sudden, sharp and shakes his head.  


“They'll find me, they'll kill you...I don't want to...” he shuts his mouth abruptly and bites his lip until it bleeds again.

“You can stay here,” Bob assures him. The Ways nod in agreement.

~+~  
Later when he's lying in his bed again, or Bob's, or whatever, he wishes he could have been the girl Gerard saw in the parking lot all these weeks ago. He seems nice enough and William has the feeling he is worried about her. He wants to do something about it, but he really can't. If they find out what he is...he doesn't think it will go over so well. No matter how much they want to help him now. He is not human. Never was, but he really wishes he were.  
The girl Gerard saw in the parking lot, of all the forms he can be, he liked that one the most. She is what he thinks Patrizia would look like, the girl he liked in kindergarten. He really liked her hair and how she smelled. She smelled like cookies. He misses that smell painfully on some days.

~+~  
Gerard is pacing the kitchen and chain-smoking. Mikey is waiting him out.

“I really don't believe that girl from the parking lot is okay,” he says, turning to face them. They told Bob all about it while William was out like a light.

“I'll look into it. This looks like it's organized. It's not our usual gig, but these people need to be put down.”

“Thanks, Bob,” Gerard answers and doesn't say that he wants to shoot them like dogs. Mikey is the only one who knows that. Who knows that violent, dark side of Gerard. And he's glad he knows it. Is furiously glad that they have no secrets left between them.

Bob nods. “I have seen that kid too, I've seen more of him than you guys...” he takes another hard drag of his cigarette. Bob hates to deal with these things. The things that remind him that people don't deserve to be saved.

“We'll catch them and bring them to justice,” Gerard says, leaning against the counter. He lights another cigarette and Mikey gives him a look. He lost count and he suspects Gerard did as well. Sometimes Gerard really doesn't seem to care about his health at all. “Just...let me. I can't deal. I really can't deal,” Gerard admits quietly.  
Mikey takes the few steps across the kitchen that separates them to stand beside his brother, so their bodies touch. The bond, the link, that something is always stronger when they touch and he thinks that Gerard really needs to be touched now. Needs to feel something else, have something other than his own dark thoughts swirling around his head. He sends calm and rainbows and unicorns into Gerard's mind and Gerard smiles. A small smile, a quiet one. A calm one. “Thanks.”

 _No problem._

 

 **~4~**  
Gerard takes to hunting things close to the border the second week in. He hunts a vengeful spirit just a few towns over. He's back by dawn and he's not even bleeding. Mikey waits for him with coffee on the veranda. It's dark and chilly and he's buried deep into his hoodie. Gerard lights a cigarette and then takes the mug. He takes a careful sip and smiles.

“You're itching to be on the road again. So much for nature versus nurture,” Mikey says.

“I know. I used to dream about how we would get from gig to gig in a shitty van...before the thing with Helena happened.”

“She really wanted us to have that. That life, that band...a normal life,” Mikey answers.

Gerard nods, takes a drag of his cigarette. “This isn't that bad, even if it isn't what she had in mind.”

“I think she knew that we would end up needing what she taught us one day,” Mikey muses. They don't talk much about Helena anymore. Not about Helena the hunter. They like to remember her as the grandmother she was. The parent she was. “I miss her cookies.”

“Me too,” Gerard answers softly like he's afraid someone else could hear.

~+~  
William doesn't know why he doesn't leave when he's feeling better. He can do whatever he wants now that he is free, but he has nowhere to go and he has no clue about the real world. He has no skills, except...well. He doesn't think he could feel save out there either. And Bob and the Way brothers don't make him leave. Maybe it's as simple as that.  
Sometimes he wonders about the brothers. He supposes it's normal to know someone so well that you don't need words when you've grown up with that person. Still. They're having whole conversations without speaking a word. It makes him feel less of a freak living here. And no one touches him. His wounds heal far slower than they should, but then this time was really bad. It was so bad that he passed out a few times during...  
He turns around and stares at the wall. He really doesn't want to think about this anymore. He can't forget, but he doesn't want to remember either.

~+~  
Mikey shakes his head, but doesn't stop Gerard. He knows it wouldn't do any good anyway. They have still no lead on the people William described and Gerard feels restless and useless even if only in his head. But that's what counts in the end.

“I'm coming with you,” he says.

“You don't have to,” Gerard answers. “It might not even be a Chupacabra.”

“You sure as hell hope it's one,” Mikey grins behind his coffee. He's still wearing his pajamas. Gerard is still dressed because he didn't go to bed at all. He was up all night reading, doing research, smoking far too much, not eating enough and having too much coffee.

“I've never seen one. Every time I think it's one it's something else. I'm like freaking House!”

“I know. It never is Lupus. It's kind of sad,” Mikey says.

“Oh, fuck you!” Gerard laughs.

“You offering?” Mikey answers in his most innocent voice and a second later – maybe not even that long – his mind is filled with filthy, filthy porn. He collapses laughing onto the floor and closes his eyes. Mikey likes to see Gerard like that. He likes that he can do that with only a few thoughts. He sometimes wishes he could do that with other people too.

Gerard stops laughing and sits up. “You know, I think it's good that we only can do that to each other. We won't hurt us. _I know_ , that we wouldn't be as careful with other people.”

“You would like to make them feel the pain of their victims,” Mikey says softly.  
Gerard shrugs. There are no secrets between them. The truth is always there. Sometimes it's ugly like right now. The thing is, that Gerard thinks he should be sorry for wanting that and he just plain isn't. And Mikey can't make him understand that it really doesn't matter, because they can't do harm to other people's minds. They can't do anything to other people's minds. They tried.

~+~  
The fifth week in he asks. The Ways are gone for two days and Bob is constantly on the phone with them or his girlfriend Emilie, or other people. William likes her, even if she says she's a witch. But who is he to judge? He is a freak of nature.

“What are they doing?” He doesn't look at Bob who is making pancakes. He is looking into his mug of herbal tea. He likes the kind Emilie brings. It tastes like apples, raisins and lemon grass.

“Hunting,” Bob answers without turning around. He likes that Bob doesn't try to bullshit him.

“They never bring anything back...”

“They don't hunt that kind of animal.”

“Is it dangerous?” William asks. He has a vague idea of what the Ways are hunting.

“What do you think? They don't only pick up strays, William.”  
William likes that Bob is saying his name. No one said his name that often before. He was always someone else, something else. Whatever the client wanted him to be.

“They are hunting criminals, right?” he asks.

“Sometimes,” Bob admits and his tone says that he doesn't really want to talk about it. “You want sugar or syrup with your pancakes?”

“Sugar,” he answers.

~+~  
William couldn't figure out for a long time why he was so badly hurt by the knife these guys had. Why the last time was so bad, why he didn't heal like he should have. It was like his body betrayed him. His body that he didn't like in the first place anyway.  
He discovers why one Wednesday evening when no one is around and he's alone in the library. He likes Bob's library, it's cozy and a bit dusty and warm. He likes to curl up on the small old couch and read for hours. It always smells like patchouli in there. Just a bit, just enough that he knows that Emilie likes the room a lot as well. When he spends enough time in here, he smells like patchouli himself.  
He is putting The Picture of Dorian Grey back when he stumbles upon an old looking book about urban legends. Bob has a lot of these and he suspects that most of them belong to Emilie as living together tends to get one’s book collections mixed up.  
He picks it up and just reads, because he has no clue which book to read next. He reads about vampire legends before he reaches the chapter about shapeshifters. The word alone rings true inside him. Like that's what he's called. Like it's his true name, the essence of his nature. Things fall in place as he reads on. Ways to kill a shifter: Silver. He closes the book carefully and gets up. It's easy, really, he just needs to get out the silverware and try his theory. And if the silver-knife doesn't burn his skin and hurts like hell, well than he is obviously no shapeshifter but another freak of nature.  
He takes a deep breath before he takes the knife out and it feels strange, it feels too hot in his palm. He leans against the counter and presses the knife into the skin of his palm. He bites his lip as it hurts so fucking much. The knife slides out of his hand as he tries to process the pain and the sheer possibility that he is this thing. The book said that all shapeshifters are crazy in some way, that all are out for blood. He felt that. He felt like he could rip someone apart without a second thought. He isn't sure why he didn't. Maybe it had to do with the drugs they gave him. Tranquilizer. Emilie said it. His system was full of it. It's strange, he thinks, that his blood would be so normal. That his being a freak doesn't show in it. He's glad for it now, of course. He is sure they wouldn't have let him stay if they knew what he is. After a few minutes spent only trying to breathe, he cleans the knife, finds the first aid kit, bandages his hand and goes back to the library. He needs to find out more about shifters, about where they come from and ...everything, really.

~+~  
“What the fuck?” Bob asks. He looks from Mikey to Gerard and then back to Mikey.

“It's not as bad as it looks.”

“It looks like a fucking bite,” Bob says gruff.

“Damn shapeshifter. You know they're crazy as fuck,” Gerard answers. His voice strained and his face a mask of pain.

“I'll get the first aid kit. You need Emilie? She's not coming back from her shift til morning,” Bob says.

Gerard shakes his head. “I'm fine. Glad the bastard is dead though.”  
Bob nods.

Mikey sees William out of the corner of his eye and thinks: _Well, shit._

Gerard follows his direction and sighs. He really doesn't want to deal with this right now. _I guess we need to tell him that there are evil things out to get him._

 _I'm sure he knows that there are evil things out there to get him. To hurt him, to tear his body and soul to shreds,_ Mikey answers disgusted. He always is when he remembers what was done to William.

“Come here,” Gerard says reaching out for him. Mikey takes his hand and holds on.

“I don't need this.”

“Yeah, whatever. We both know you do,” Gerard replies just as Bob comes back. Mikey lets go of his brother's hand and waves William to come into the living room. William is wearing one of Mikey's hoodies and pajama pants. He suspects Emilie's. There are little dancing skeletons on them.

“I didn't listen in...I just...I heard the car and...” William trails off. He looks afraid. Mikey sighs. He doesn't want William to look like that. He hates it.

“It's okay. Come one, sit down,” he answers and William takes the few steps to sit down beside Mikey on the sofa. There is still room between them, but not as much as there used to be. Mikey can even feel William's body heat. It's progress.

 _It is, you know,_ Gerard's mind whispers and Mikey smiles briefly at him.

 _I know._

“You want tea?” Bob asks, he cleaning Gerard's wound. It doesn't look that bad when it's all clean.

“Yes,” Mikey answers for them both. William nods.

“Let me patch this idiot up and I'll make some. Coffee for you, idiot boy?”

“Yeah, and don't call me that,” Gerard grimaces when Bob pats his side to make sure the bandages will hold.

“I think you're good to go. Emilie will look at it tomorrow anyway. Don't even start with me,” Bob warns and Gerard sighs, biting back his protests.

~+~  
William is nervous about whatever they want to tell him. Bob puts mugs down on the table and then disappears into the library.

“Thanks Bob!” Gerard shouts and Bob gives him the finger.

Gerard looks to his brother and Mikey lights a cigarette, takes a drag and says: “So, I'm sure you are wondering what the hell the crazy talk about the shifter was.” It's not a question, but William nods anyway. “We hunt things. Supernatural things.”  
He says it just like that. Like this is normal. It's not. He knows. He knows because he is one of these things.

“Are you killing them?” he asks in a whisper. He knows the answer, but a part of him needs to hear it nevertheless. A sick, perverse part of him.

“Yes.” That's Gerard.

“Even those that aren't doing any harm?”

“You have to understand that there aren't any that aren't evil. It's in their nature,” Gerard says.  
William sakes his head. He isn't. He isn't evil. He knows he isn't, but he can't say that.

“I can't stay here any longer,” he says instead of any of the stuff he wants to say. His hands are buried deep inside the hoodie.

“What? Why?” Mikey asks, his body shifts and he makes to grab William's hand. William tenses and Mikey says: “Fuck!” His fingers curl around the edge of the couch instead. William breathes out, closing his eyes.  
He wants to tell them the truth but he didn't before, so...what would be the point now?

“I just don't think it would be a good idea.”

“You think we're freaks,” Mikey says.

William laughs. He is startled by it himself. It's torn out of his body, he shakes with it. “No, I don't. Trust me. I really, really don't.”

“We read minds,” Gerard says and Mikey gives him a look.

 _Are you a fucking idiot?_ he wants to know.

Gerard grins. William is shocked. “Not other people's. Just each others,” he adds.

“I...” William has no idea what to answer to that. But it sure as hell would explain a lot of weird stuff if it were true.

“He's being a dick. Just ignore him. We're telling you because we think you should know these things. We can prepare you...for when you're gone.”  
William doesn't want to leave, but he really doesn't think it's a good idea to stay among hunters of supernatural things. Sooner or later they'll find out.

“You don't have to go, you know? We will. We don't live here anyway.” Gerard's voice sounds firm and sure.

“Is this your fucking excuse for hitting the road again?”

“There might be a Chupacabra two states over,” Gerard answers.

“You always say that and it never is one.” Mikey sighs and lights another cigarette. The first one is burned to ashes and he didn't even smoke it.

“You're staying with Bob and Emilie and we’ll hit the road again and when we come back...well, maybe you'll feel more comfortable around us,” Gerard says, getting up from the chair he was sitting in. Mikey gets up to help his brother. He waves a bit when they reach the stairs to the room they're sharing.  
William waves back and thinks that he is truly fucked, but he really wants to stay. Just a bit longer.

 

 **~5~**  
Gerard’s obsession with the Chupacabra started shortly after he put all his stuff about vampires away. Mikey thinks it was because of this one X-Files episode, but he can’t say for sure. On the other hand, most of Gerard’s obsessions started with an X-Files episode. But he’d rather die than admit it. Something in his subconscious just reacts to these things.  
The Chupacabra is Gee’s Yeti. Mikey doesn’t blame him. No one ever saw one – not that they know about. Bob would have told them if other hunters came across one. Bob didn’t say a word.  
Sometimes Mikey thinks Gerard is obsessed with it because it is some kind of _vampire_ animal. It’s complicated and stupid, but that’s how Gerard’s brain works.

~+~  
The thing turns out to be a rabid wolf. For a moment Gerard is really excited about it because he thinks it might be a hellhound. They put it down and leave the town behind.  
Gerard stops at some diner a few hours later for coffee and because he just can’t stand being in the car anymore. No matter how much he loves the car, sometimes he just needs to get out of it and be a normal human being again.  
Mike leans against the car and smokes a cigarette while Gerard goes inside to get them coffee. He is sure it will taste horrible, because diner coffee always does. Watered down until it only looks like coffee, but tastes like muddy water. Maybe, Gerard thinks, maybe I spend too much time thinking about coffee.

 _Do you now?_ Mikey’s amused voice says into his head.

 _Oh shut up. It’s coffee. It should be good. People are writing poems and haikus about it._

 _Why can’t you surf porn sites like every other normal guy?_ his brother asks.

 _I do that too, but there is more to life than sex._

 _You wouldn’t know, you don’t have any._  
Gerard can feel Mikey smile and shakes his head. The waitress looks at him suspiciously. He gives her his most charming smile and orders two coffees to go and some pie. They haven’t eaten in hours.

~+~  
The sex thing was kind of awkward at first. It started earlier for Gerard, of course and Mikey didn’t have a clue the first time Gerard was jerking off. Needless to say he caught on really fast.  
Gerard wanted to try a barrier then. Something for privacy. It was only normal to want that and Mikey wasn’t exactly keen about knowing which girl or guy his brother was mooning and jerking off over.  
It didn’t work. It didn’t because none of them could stand it. The empty space inside their heads that used to be a solid presence, a pulse, another heart. A part of their beings. It was like missing an arm or leg. It just didn’t work. They could do it for quick masturbation. That was bearable, but later when Gerard and Mikey started to have sex for real with other people, it just didn’t work.  
The first time Mikey reached for his brother was kind of an accident, he was too lost in the blowjob he was getting and the barrier just slipped. Gerard didn’t say anything about it and Mikey was glad. But it happened again.

“You need to manage that…”Gerard said after the fifth time.

“I don’t want to. It’s unnatural to not have you there,” Mikey answered and he felt miserable just admitting it. He felt wrong somehow.

“Don’t think that!” Gerard’s arm was around him just a second after he said it. He tugged at Mikey until Mikey leaned into him. Feeling Gerard’s breath on his skin and his fingers digging into his flesh a bit too hard. Gerard was mad at him. Mad that he would think there was something wrong with him. “Well, then just…I don’t know. I guess we can’t make it really quick, hmmm?”

“That would make the other people kind of miserable?” Mikey said. His voice soft. Gerard patted his knee.

“Yeah, okay…whatever. It’s not as if you’re thinking coherent sentences when you’re having sex.”

“Right back at you,” Mikey said.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, whatever. It’s not stranger than knowing you hate strawberries.”

“I know you think that it’s unnatural and wrong.”

“It _is_ unnatural and wrong,” Gerard said with a grin.  
And that was that.

~+~  
Since they turned to hunting, Gerard didn’t have as much sex as he used to when they were living a normal life with Helena.  
He didn’t seem to care about it either. Mikey sometimes wondered about it, but he had to admit that they really don’t have the time. There is always something else to hunt, people to save, things to salt and burn. Life on the road is busy.

“You think you would’ve had more sex as a rockstar?” Mikey asks, nursing his coffee, it isn’t that bad.

“You know me, probably not.”

Mikey grins. “Yeah, you would’ve wanted to save the fucking world with fucking music.”

“And art!” Gerard adds seriously.

“Instead you’re hunting things that go bump in the night.”

“Everyone needs to make a living.”

“We don’t make a living. We live off our grandmother’s money…” Mikey answers.

“Well… at least we don’t have to steal,” Gerard says, taking another sip of coffee. “It’s really not that bad,” he adds, musing.

Mike drains his cup and throws it into the trashcan. “It’s time to get out of here.”

“Road or a motel?”

“We could visit Pastor Jim…” Mikey says.

Gerard thinks about it for a second and then nods. “Okay. We can make it in a few hours and his cooking is really good.”

~+~  
Pastor Jim looks older than Mikey and Gerard remember. Mikey thinks it’s because he took Helena’s death pretty hard. He still welcomes them with open arms and makes them eat their vegetables as well.

“So, what brings you guys here?” Pastor Jim asks.

“We are hunting people. An organisation, Bob thinks…they…” Gerard waves his hand helplessly.

“They sell kids. For prostitution.” Mikey finishes the sentence and knows Gerard thinks these words just don’t do the horror justice. They don’t, but Mikey isn’t sure there are words that could.

 _There aren’t,_ his brother says.

“Give me the facts. You guys could have called but I’m glad you’re here.” Pastor Jim sounds a bit mad at them.

“Bob was handling it while we were handling other things.”

“The Chupacabra I heard about a few towns over?”

“It wasn’t one…” Gerard answers unhappy.

“It was a rabid wolf,” Mikey explains.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Pastor Jim says. His voice completely deadpan. Gerard appreciates the effort.

~+~  
They stay in the living room after Pastor Jim promises his help and then excuses himself for the night.

“Bob should have called him,” Mikey says.

“Bob knows what he’s doing,” Gerard answers, taking a drag of his cigarette. “But I do wonder as well.”

“If Bob didn’t want Pastor Jim to know…think we messed it up?” Mikey wants to know. He’s playing with the rim of his mug. No coffee. Just hot chocolate. Pastor Jim doesn’t even keep coffee in the house. It’s a strange, strange world they are living in.

“Maybe? Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“We should call him in the morning.” Mikey says. He drains his cup, takes the blanket and curls up on the couch with Gerard.

“Sure. Night Mikes.”

“Night,” Mikey yawns.

Gerard grabs his hand under the blanket and squeezes. _Everything’s gonna be fine,_ he assures.

 _I know._

~+~  
Bob calls them and he does it before they even had coffee, because Bob is a heartless bastard.

“’ello?” Gerard mumbles into the phone.

“I had a call from Pastor Jim this morning,” Bob says. He sounds calm, but then Bob usually does sound like that. It doesn’t mean that shit isn’t going down.

“We wanted to call you about that…” Gerard answers.

“Sure you did. Listen. How much did you tell him about William?”

“Just that we found him and that he was held captive and the other stuff.”

“What other stuff, Gerard?” Bob wants to know.

“That he was raped. Jesus.”

 _What is going on?_ Mikey asks and Gerard opens his sleepy, foggy brain up to him.

“Nothing about the chip? The drugs? The knife wounds?”

“No, we didn’t want…it’s bad enough we know about this. He doesn’t need all that horror in his life on top of what he deals with every day,” Gerard says, sitting up. The room is pleasantly warm and he is sure there is breakfast in the kitchen.

“Okay.”

Gerard is too slow to keep Mikey from grabbing the phone. “What the hell is going on, Bob?” Mikey asks.

“I think you guys should come home, now,” Bob answers.

“That doesn’t sound reassuring at all.”

“It’s not that bad. Just pack your stuff up. I need to tell you guys something.”

“It’s not Doomsday is it?” Mikey asks.

“Would I tell you over the fucking phone if it were?”

“Yes you would.”

“There. You have your answer.”

“I still don’t feel reassured.”

“Get your asses back home, guys,” Bob says and hangs up. They know it won't make any sense to call him back, he will just ignore it until they get their asses on his porch and to the front-door.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Gerard says.

“No shit.” Mikey gives him back the phone and Gerard stares at it for a while before he puts it on the coffee-table.

“What the hell is going on? If Bob doesn’t want Pastor Jim to know?”

“Don’t ask me. I can only read your mind.” Mikey shrugs and untangles himself from the blankets to get up. “I’m going to shower and you are…going to make tea. I guess. You know what is unnatural and wrong?”

“That Pastor Jim doesn’t have coffee in the house.”

Mikey nods.

~+~  
They have an unplanned stop in a small town a few hours away from Bob’s. Gerard only wants some coffee and they kind of get stuck in it for hours, because it’s apparently haunted.

“It’s like these things are finding us. What the fuck!?” Gerard wheezes. He hates running. He always hated running. He doesn’t think he will ever get really used to it.

“A haunted diner; must be our first.”

“You have a checklist for this shit, don’t you?”

“Don’t you know that already?” Mikey asks.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

“I so agree with you.”

~+~  
The mind reading thing doesn’t work like people usually think it does. Mostly they can feel stuff more than hear real words. It’s because the brain processes a million things at a time and you have to concentrate to filter out what you want to know. Or you have to think it at your brother. Like having a conversation, but faster, because there is nothing between your brain and your brother's.  
He supposes that they could hide things if they wanted, but it never was an issue. Maybe because they always were like that. Gerard doesn’t know and he really doesn’t care.  
It’s true that there are no secrets left between them, but it’s also true that they don’t know _everything_ about each other. Minor things get lost in the maelstrom that is the other’s brain. Like knowing that Mikey has a list of supernatural things he would like to see before he dies. Gerard didn’t know that before. He may have come across it once, but his brain didn’t think it was important at that time, so he forgot.  
He doesn’t think he will forget it now. It’s such a Mikey thing to do.

 

 **~6~**  
William doesn't know what the hell is going on but he doesn't like that Bob is up that early and that he was woken up by a phone-call that wasn't from the Ways.

“What's going on?” he asks.

Bob puts a mug of William's favourite tea in front of him and William's stomach drops. “We have to tell them.”

“Tell them what?” William asks. He doesn't look at Bob.

“William...”

“I really don't know what you are talking about.” He grabs the mug and doesn't realise that it's too hot. Too hot to hold it like that for so long.

Bob gives him a look. “I didn't think we would have to tell them. I wanted to wait until they found out or until you were ready to tell them, but the shit is about to hit the fan.” Bob sits down across from him and he looks a bit pale, tired.

“You knew the whole time?” William asks quietly.

“Not the _whole_ time. Pretty much from the second week. You know we aren't idiots, Emilie and I.”

“I didn't think...” William starts.

“I know. You were afraid. I get it. After what those people did to you and after you learned what we're hunting,” Bob interrupts.

“Things like me,” William says.

“You're not a thing, William.”

“You hunt us...I mean...I am a shapeshifter.” It's the first time he says it out loud. It tastes foreign on his tongue.

“You are one of our own, William,” Bob answers in his no nonsense voice. William really likes Bob's no nonsense voice, especially in this moment. “Drink your tea.”

“Okay.”

~+~  
Gerard is half asleep when they park in front of Bob's. Mikey nudges him carefully.

“I'm awake...” he mumbles.

“Yeah, clearly.” Mikey mocks.

Gerard yawns and stretches in the car. He hits his elbow against the window and curses. “I kind of hate Bob for this shit.”

“Get out of the car. He's on the porch already. And his arms are crossed over his chest...”

“Great, the no nonsense pose...just great.” Mikey smiles. “I hope he has coffee.”

~+~  
Bob has coffee because he is Bob. He puts two mugs on the table and waits until they drain them, refills and sits down, which means business.

“So, what the hell is going on that you don't want Pastor Jim to know?” Gerard asks.

“He is kind of single minded,” Bob says.

“What?”

“He only sees good and evil.”

“I can understand that. It's easy. But why are we having a discussion about the 'grey zones'” Mikey asks, he makes the quote marks with his fingers and all. Gerard snickers.

“I'm a shapeshifter!” William says. Mikey's head snaps in his direction.

“He knows how to make an entrance,” Gerard throws in. He is shocked. That's the only thing...he looks to Bob and Bob nods.

“Okay...you knew he was a shapeshifter this whole time?”

“Yes. I live with him, guys.”

“No kidding?” Mikey asks. He is still staring at William.

“You were...you are the girl from the parking lot!” Gerard says. It all clicks into place suddenly.

Mikey rolls his eyes. _Trust you to find that important. He is the enemy, Gee._

 _No, not really. He is the victim here._ Gerard answers. His inner voice firm and strong. Mikey smiles. _You were testing me?_ he asks disbelief colouring his voice.

Mikey shrugs. “Yeah.”

Gerard shakes his head. “You don't want other hunters to know. Other hunters that shoot first and then ask the important questions.”

“We usually don't help supernatural beings. We kill them,” Bob nods. Gerard looks at William, but the boy doesn't even flinch. He is sure that Bob won't let anything happen to him.

 _I know that feeling all to well,_ Mikey says.

“Yeah, me too,” Gerard answers.

Bob rolls his eyes at them. “What did I say?”

“No telepathy in the house,” they say in unison. Gerard sees William smile.

“No one will hurt you anymore. We're gonna find those bastards and we will...do something you really shouldn't know about,” Gerard says, he reaches his hand out and waves him to come over. “Come on Bill.”

~+~  
No one ever gave him a nickname. It's stupid, really, but he feels warm all over. He takes the first steps in the Ways' direction before he can even think about it. Gerard makes room on the couch for him. He is squeezed against his brother and he doesn't seem to mind. None of them do and William really envies the feeling of closeness for a moment. He wants that back. He wants...a lot of things, but he should concentrate on what is right in front of him. What he can manage.  
He can feel Gerard's body heat when he sits down. It doesn't freak him out.  
Gerard lights a cigarette and Mikey snatches it before he can even take the first drag. “Fucker,” he mumbles and Mikey laughs.

~+~  
Bob shows them his research. He has a few concrete leads. Mostly it's about children disappearing and no one really caring about them. Children that are somehow different. Somehow not quite right – whatever that means.

“If they had known about me and Mikey when we were younger...” Gerard says. Bob nods. He was obviously thinking that too.

“What would they have wanted with two boys that could only read each others minds?” Mikey asks, curious, and that's why Gerard loves him.

“We can't harm other people, but we can harm each other,” Gerard says.

“Oh....that's sick.”

“It's sick, but I'm sure that those people would love it.”

“I don't like the direction this conversation is taking,” Bob throws in.

“We're too old anyway,” Mikey says.  
Gerard keeps quiet.

“Don't even think about it!” Bob tells him stern.

“I'm not thinking about anything,” Gerard answers.

“You're such a fucking liar, Gee.”

“You know there is this spell that could make us young for a week...we could be bait. I'm sure Emilie could manage that spell.”

“NO!” Bob's voice is firm and it's his firm no nonsense voice on top of that.

“It's a good plan!” Gerard says.

“That's not a plan. That is a suicide mission!” Bob replies.

Mikey nods. “He's right, that's fucking dangerous...” Bob throws him a grateful look, “ and should be the last resort,” Mikey finishes smoothly.

“I hate you both. You have no idea about the proportions of my undying hate,” Bob says. Mikey pats his knee awkwardly.

“It's the last resort,” he says.

“Undying hate,” Bob repeats.

 **~7~**  
There are only three people who know about Mikey and him, and Mikey doesn’t count, because Mikey is like a part of himself. Three people: Bob and Emilie and now William.

“You weren’t messing with me when you said you could read each other’s minds,” he says at breakfast two days later.

“No, not really. I mean, no one believes it anyway…” Gerard trails off, distracted by a cinnamon roll. Mikey smiles.

“I know that feeling all too well. The thing is…there are people out there who know about us.”

“Hunters.” Gerard turns around. “Hunters know about these things.” He takes a sip of his coffee, the cinnamon roll abandoned on a plate.

“Hunters hunt and kill,” Mikey argues.

“Yes, of course. That’s the usual thing. I agree, but hunters _know_ and most of them aren’t right in the head. You know it. There are actually only a few that are sane…I don’t count us,” he adds with a grin.

“I think you guys are sane,” William throws in.

“That’s sweet, Bill, but we’re really not. If we were sane, we wouldn’t be doing this.”

“I’m glad you’re doing this,” William answers.

“I really want to hug you now. Please feel hugged,” Gerard says.  
William smiles.

~+~  
“I was thinking about it too,” Bob says over dinner. “It’s just too well organized. And they seem to know everything about these children.”

“What makes this scary, is that even the parents who care, think that their kids are in some kind of school,” Emilie throws in. Bob gives her a look. “I talked to two different families from different states who think that.”

“That is really fucking…why would they give their kid away?” Mikey asks.

“I shed my skin like a snake to become something else. It’s messy and it hurts. I can understand that no one would love someone like me or want to have to deal with it on a daily basis for the rest of their lives,” William says quietly. The rest of them go quiet at that.

“We really don’t care. We’re messy too,” Mikey says after a short while of silence.

“You should feel hugged right now,” Gerard adds and Mikey nods.

~+~  
William doesn’t know why he wants to talk about it now. He didn’t want to talk about it earlier. Ever since it started. He wanted to keep it a secret and he tried, but if you’re living with people, parents that should have looked out for you, you really can’t keep everything secret. Especially not such a big part of your life.  
The first time it happened he was seven and he was alone. He wanted to be like that boy from the commercial his mom found cute. It hurt and he swore not to do it again. Until he was 13. It started happening more often then. In hindsight he thinks it was puberty. Everything goes to hell when you hit puberty. Why should that be different for shapeshifters?  
His mom was pretty freaked out about it and his dad…who wasn’t his dad, but a new boyfriend of mom’s (who wasn’t his mom he learned later,) well he saw an opportunity. So, William was just one case before Rick found others or they found him. William never knew, never asked, never met any of the other children. But he knew there were other children. He is sure they knew it too.  
And that’s how it began. Rick didn’t think he was human. The others, they knew he wasn’t, he realises now.

~+~  
“Who would you trust to take care of your special child?” Emilie asks.  
Mikey is nibbling a cookie and thinking all this shit over. The more they know or think they do, the less he likes the picture they’re uncovering.  
Granted not every hunter was brought up like them. In a safe and stable home. He suspects they are actually something like an anomaly, but the common sense has to kick in some time right? And that it isn’t right to torture and rape children…he clenches his free hand around the edge of the sofa. Gerard reaches over and grabs it, pries it away carefully and holds it until he feels less like punching someone or something.

“Doctors, of course,” Bob says.

“Could be anyone. Hunters know how to be someone else. We were FBI Agents, journalists, inspectors and priests just last month,” Gerard throws in.

“Bank accounts?” Mikey asks.

Bob gives him a look. “What?”

“They sure as hell are making money from this. I know it is mostly about some sick kind of revenge, but they are making money. Bill said it himself. Therefore: bank accounts.”

“We’d have to check the bank accounts of all hunters we know,” Bob says carefully, “and no one can say we’ll find anything at all. If they are smart –and fuck, they are, then the money is hidden.”

“Someone always does something stupid with too much money. Always.” Emilie looks at Bob now, a cup of tea in her hand.

“Is this about the second guitar?” he asks.

“No,” she answers, “I just think that maybe someone bought something expensive and…well. It doesn’t hurt to try.”  
Bob nods.

~+~  
When William comes down to the kitchen next day Emilie is already up. Her red hair a messy ponytail and she’s only wearing one of Bob’s t-shirts. She’s also making French toast.

“Sit down, William, sugar or honey?” she asks, preparing a plate for him.

“Honey,” he answers. He’s still tired, but he couldn’t sleep. “And tea, please?”

“Sure,” she answers. He is surprised how at home he feels here after only a few months. How normal it is to see her here in the kitchen, knowing that she had sex with Bob the other night – and not be too freaked out about it. Waiting for the Ways to call…sometimes he listens for the distinct noise their car makes. This becomes home for him and it really scares the shit out of him.

“You’re thinking too hard, William,” she says into his brooding.

“I can’t help it,” he answers with a small smile. Emilie puts tea and a plate with French toast in front of him.

“You know, I like having you here. I like that someone is up more often than not to eat breakfast with me before I go to work,” she sits down on the other side of the table and cuts her toast in little pieces.

They eat in silence for a while before William puts his fork away and looks at her. “I don’t want you guys to get hurt.”

“We won’t,” she assures him.

“You don’t know these people.”

“The scary thing is that we probably do,” comes Gerard’s voice from the door. Deep and sleepy. His hair is a mess and he dyed it red – like Emilie’s.

“There is coffee,” Emilie says.

“Thank fucking god,” he runs a hand over his face and crosses the kitchen to get some.

“Mikey still asleep?”

“Yeah. He hogged the blanket again…I think we need two,” Gerard says, he still sounds groggy and he is staring at the mug like he can’t figure out how to make it work that coffee appears in it.

“You have to pour it in, honey,” Emilie says.

“Right…I know that,” Gerard answers, getting himself together and pouring coffee into the mug. William is by now sure he would inhale it or let someone attach a drip to his vein. It would save him a lot of trouble. Like getting up to get some for example. He leans against the counter to give William space. The table in the kitchen is small.

“You really think it’s someone we know?”

Gerard shrugs careful of his coffee. “Mikey and I…we don’t know people, for obvious reasons, Helena never said a word to anyone about us, how we are. But Bob knows a lot of hunters because they trust him. Yeah, I think the chances are good it’s someone he knows and us by proximity.”

“Well, fuck,” Emilie answers and she hardly swears. William isn’t sure this isn’t the first time he ever heard her swearing. Gerard nods and yawns again.

“Can I have the French toast?” he asks.

“Sure, there is honey in the cupboard.”

“I know, I live here too,” Gerard says with a smile before he turns around to get a plate, toast and honey.

“You shouldn’t eat while standing,” William says.

“You sure?”

“Yes.”  
Gerard shrugs, takes the plate and his coffee and sits down next to him. Their bodies don’t touch, but the possibility is there. It doesn’t freak him out at all as Gerard’s elbow brushes his while he’s gesturing around with his spoon as he discusses something with Emilie. He doesn’t even seem to notice that he did it.

Mikey comes into the kitchen a bit later. “It’s cold without you,” he accuses.

“You hogged the blanket,” Gerard answers, handing his mug over without prompting from his brother.

“We need a second blanket then…” he sits down on William’s other side and leans his head into his hands. “I feel like I didn’t sleep at all,” he says.

“Please feel hugged right now,” Gerard replies and Mikey smiles.

 

 **~8~**  
“Yeah, no,” Emilie says. Gerard wants to argue, but she cuts him off. “I couldn’t even if I wanted to. And just for the record, I don’t want to. You need more than one witch to make this spell happen and not mess it up.”

“Oh…okay,” Gerard answers. He lights a cigarette and takes a deep drag. He is thinking things over, Mikey knows, but it’s too fast to pick out real words. Mikey is sure he will share when he’s come to a conclusion.

“Listen, Bob already has leads, we’re working on this day and night. We’ll find them.”

“In the meantime children are suffering,” Gerard answers.

She sighs. “We try our best.”  
“I know, but the bank idea didn't work. These people are smart.”

 _I don’t think it’s a good idea, you know. We would be defenceless as children, even with the stuff we learned. The spell doesn’t say we will only look like kids, Gerard. It says we will be kids again._

 _I know. I know…I just. What other options do we have here?_

 _And we don’t know if they will even come for us._ Mikey answers. _There is no way of knowing all the risks. I know you want to help, but it won’t help anybody if we die, because you know I’ll come with. Wouldn’t work without me anyway._

Gerard smiles at him. _No, it wouldn’t._

 _We are crazy motherfuckers, that’s true, but you have to see sense here,_ Mikey’s voice is a plea.

Gerard nods. _Okay._

Emilie gets up from the chair she was sitting in and says: “Mikey got your head straight?”

“Yeah…”

“Good, because before you ambushed me with this I wanted to ask you guys for a favour.”

“Sure, whatever, you know it.”

“A friend of mine has a problem. Might be a poltergeist. Could you guys look into it?”

“Yes. Just gives us the address.”

~+~  
It’s an easy enough salt and burn case, but it still takes them a whole week to figure out where the bones are buried. Gerard hates it when the lives of people depend on bureaucracy. Or the police, who more often than not, has no clue. There was a time he thought it would be good to just tell people, but now that he knows what happened to Bill and all the other kids that are still there, he really isn’t sure.

 _Sometimes I hate people_ Gerard says, lighting the match. He steps away from the grave they dug and lets it fall. He can still feel the warmth of the fire even from where he stands.

“I know.” Mike lights a cigarette and hands it over to his brother.

“I hate that we still aren’t any closer to figuring this out. I want to kick down every hunter’s door and make them talk.”

“Might not be the best idea you ever had.”

“I didn’t say it was a good one. It’s just something I want to do to speed up the process.” Gerard takes a drag from his cigarette and watches the fire. “I kind of feel helpless.”

“You saved a whole family today.”

“We and that is not what I meant.”

“Gerard. We will figure this out. Or Bob and Emilie will.”

“I hate this. I hate that we can’t find Bill’s handlers.” He kicks a stone at his feet and takes another violent drag of his smoke.  
Mikey keeps silent. There is nothing left to say anyway.

~+~  
“Hello?”

“Gerard? Did you have coffee?”

“You woke me up, fucker,” Gerard yawns and sits up. Mikey makes unhappy noises beside him.

“Listen…can we meet?”

“Alone? On a deserted back road?”

“Starbucks?”

“Are you guys in town?” Gerard asks. He didn’t have coffee, his brain is still asleep. It’s not his fault.

“Yes, we’re in town. In an hour?”

“I’ll be there.”  
He lets Mikey sleep and leaves a note for Bob, or William, whoever finds it first on the kitchen table before he leaves.

~+~  
He sees Jared in a corner. His pink mohawk a dead give away. But Gerard thinks he really can pull it off. Jared smiles when he sees him and pushes a cup of hot blessed coffee into his hands as he sits down.

“I still kind of hate you…” Gerard mumbles inhaling the smell.

“I like your hair. It has an air of kick ass martyr,” Jared says, he’s smiling.

“That’s the look I went for. So, what the hell is going on?” he asks. He and Jared have history.

“This shit is personal and stays between us,” Jared says and he doesn’t need to add: Or I will slit your fucking throat without thinking about it more than twice.

“My lips are sealed,” Gerard answers and feels Mikey stir. His consciousness coming online. _Am at Starbucks, having coffee with Jared._

 _Okay…_

 _I think you should listen in on this one._

 _Okay…_

“A few days ago someone knocked on my cousin's door and wanted to talk with her about their kid.”

Gerard has a really bad feeling about this already. “So in what way is this kid special?”

Jared gives him a sharp look. “What the hell is going on?”

 _I think we can tell him,_ Mikey says in his head.

 _Not sure yet._

“You first.”

“Hunters,” Jared says long suffering and takes a sip of his coffee. “God, I'd kill for a smoke right now.” Gerard waits him out. “Okay, lets say there are kids with special abilities...”

 _HA!_ Mikey exclaims in his head and he bites his lips to not burst out into laugher. He doesn't think it would go over so well.

“I only know a bit, maybe you and Shannon want to join us at Bob's?”

“Shit is going down, hmm?” Jared asks.

“We can smoke outside...” Gerard says hopefully.

“Fuck yes.”

~+~  
“My cousin’s daughter is telekinetic,” Jared says. Shannon is hovering like a shadow behind him. There is something really creepy about them. In the way they move, in the way they don't really need to talk to each other...Mikey never really thought about it, because well...he has a brother as well.

“Runs in the family?” he asks out of the blue. Shannon shifts just a bit. Jared's elbow nudges his side. It could be just a coincidence, but Mikey knows it's not. It's body contact for comfort. He knows that shit.

“Kinda,” Jared says.

“Can you read each others minds?” Gerard wants to know. He's curious, they never talked with any other siblings that could be like them.

“What? No!” Jared laughs and then stops abruptly. “Oh, fuck me!”

“Well...I know Gerard did,” Mikey says and then bites his lip.

“Kinky,” Shannon throws in. It's actually the first thing he said so far. He lights a cigarette with his fingers and well...that is pretty cool too.

“That is kinda really cool,” Gerard breathes. Mikey knows he is already sketching it in his mind so he can paint it later. When he has a few hours to spend on something that doesn't end in blood and gore. Oh well...at least not in _real_ blood and gore.

“Well, special kids.”

“There are others of course,” Jared says.

“Of course.”

“Okay, guys this is what we have,” Bob throws in and hands over their research so far.

~+~  
It takes a while until the Leto brothers read it all. Jared puts the folder aside and stretches out on the sofa.

“How did you even come across this shit?” he asks. Mikey bites his lip, looking uncertain. Jared catches it. “Whatever it is you can tell us. We're on the same side here.”

“Not every hunter would agree,” Gerard says carefully.

“Because more than half of these kids are technically things you hunt?” Shannon asks.

“They aren't things!” Mikey says sharply.

“I know....sorry.”

“Yes,” Gerard answers.

“If they knew about me and Shannon, or you guys, we would be the first names on the hit-list.”

“One of the kids got away,” Gerard says.

“The kid is living here, right? You are keeping him or her here at Bob's.”

“No one messes with or suspects Bob. It's the safest place we know of.” Mikey shrugs.

“He wasn't much help, expect of course making us aware that this shit even exists.”

“You think it's hunters,” Shannon says.

“Yes, we do.”

“That's why you do this alone.”

“Can't blame a boy...” Gerard answers.

“Nope,” Jared agrees.

 _Stop staring at his arms. It's disturbing._

 _Don't even try to tell me you wouldn't,_ Gerard answers.

 _You did, so I know how it feels, it's like I did him as well._

 _Unexpected threesome!_ Gerard says with glee in his inner voice. Mikey rolls his eyes at him.

“You guys done now? Can we start some serious shit?” Bob asks.

“Yeah...”

“So, my cousin made a sketch of the guy at her door. I don't know him, but maybe one of you?”

“Who's with your cousin and their kid?”

“They can take care of themselves, but they took a short vacation nevertheless.” Jared replies producing the sketch. It's not the greatest thing ever, but Gerard thinks Bob could manage it anyway. Bob takes the piece of paper and disappears into his study. The only thing left is to wait.

~+~  
“So I was thinking,” Jared says, they're in the kitchen drinking coffee and eating sandwiches. Gerard really kind of doesn't want to talk about it – everything in his body language tells you that. “We totally had a threesome and I didn't know, right?”  
Gerard winces, the whole thing is messed up enough, without people knowing, Mikey can relate. He nods. “I feel cheated.” Jared adds. Shannon tries to hide a grin, but he doesn't seem to try that hard  
Gerard really wants to say something about this, but then the guys' eyes snap in the door's direction.

“I think I'll come back later...” William mumbles. He was sleeping a lot in the last few days during daytime, because he can't at night. Mikey is a bit worried about that, as is Emilie.

“Don't be stupid, Bill,” Mikey says. He gets up and goes to the stove to boil some water for tea.

“No really...” William tries again.

“We don't bite,” Shannon says.

“Except it's your kind of thing,” Jared adds with a sweet smile. William blushes. Oh, fuck, Gerard thinks.

“Don't even start, Leto,” Gerard warns.

“I'm Jared and that is my brother Shannon. The Ways were clearly raised by wolves, you have to excuse their behaviour,” Jared says to William.

“Hey! Helena was no wolf...” Gerard starts.

“Oh well, I bet she taught you better than that.”

“I bet your mom knew you would get in trouble as soon as you were twelve and discovered how your dick works,” Gerard shoots back.

Jared grins. “It's okay to be a late bloomer, you know...”

Mikey snickers at that and Gerard throws his hands over his head in a dramatic gesture. Gerard kind of loves the drama a bit. William is still standing in the doorway. Mikey sighs, makes tea and puts it on the table. “Sit down,” he says.

“Come on, Bill, sit down,” Jared is all innocence, even that works for him.

 _So unfair,_ Gerard pouts. He only pouts in his or Mikey's head. William takes the longer way to the chair avoiding any body contact and Jared gives him a look, but doesn't say anything. Mikey can see Shannon ball his hands to fists. He can relate here, too. He is sure they want to kill someone for this as well. Shannon lights a cigarette with his fingers and William's eyes go wide. Mikey smiles at Shannon and Shannon shrugs.

 _I kind of love the Letos._ Gerard says in his mind.

 _Yeah, I do too._

“I'm a shapeshifter,” William whispers.

“Really? And is this your real form?” Jared asks, he leans a bit over the table to be closer to William and William doesn't lean away. A few months ago he would have. There is still enough space between them. Jared is careful to keep a safe distance.

“Yes.”

“You're pretty,” Jared says.

William blushes again. “Thanks...”

“You're welcome.”

 _Seriously love them,_ Gerard repeats.  
Mikey nods.

~+~  
There are a few things hunters don't know about his kind of shapeshifters. They know them about other shifters like werewolves, but just don't make the connection. William is really glad no one did.  
Something William figured out pretty fast is that he _needs_ to shift from time to time. He needs to do it to stay sane, stay healthy in body and mind. It still hurts like hell, there is no denying that, but the blood-thirst he feels when he doesn't shift for weeks is less pestering. It's nearly gone and he thinks it isn't more violent than that of humans.  
He does it alone, at night, when he knows no one is home. When Bob and Emilie have a rare evening off, when the Ways have gone on a hunting trip. He takes off his clothes in the bathroom (it's the easiest to clean afterwards), stares into the mirror and thinks about who he wants to be. Since he stays at Bob's he chooses someone familiar to him, like Bob, the Ways, even Emilie. He doesn't like to be a girl, it feels strange and foreign, but she feels safe enough. Her pretty face calms him down from the pain when she stares back at him in the mirror.  
He isn't exactly sure why he keeps this to himself, after all these months he knows, just knows, that they won't throw him out. He is free to leave or to stay. He is sure that they will make him go to school next year – when they think he could handle other people. He doesn't allow himself to think about it that often, but sometimes it sneaks up on him. It lets him hope.  
And that is surely a good thing.

 

 **~9~**  
Bob calls one of his contacts at the police. Most hunters had a run in with the police at some time in their life. Except the Ways, they’re just charming like that. They don’t even use fake names most of the time. It’s something about them that just makes people trust them.  
Now that they have a rough sketch he thinks he can get a name. Even a fake one would be a step forward. They only have to sit and wait.  
It's actually the hardest part.

~+~  
Gerard is half asleep when Pastor Jim calls. He looks at the caller ID and nudges Mikey’s mind. He likes to have someone with him when he isn’t fully aware of everything and right now his brain is foggy. Like always when he wakes up.

 _Go on,_ Mikey says.

Gerard yawns and takes the call. “Pastor Jim,” he mumbles.

“Where you asleep?” Pastor Jim asks.

“Nearly,” Gerard admits. Pastor Jim knows them, it wouldn’t make much sense to lie to his face and then about something as unimportant as that.

“I have a favour to ask you guys,” Pastor Jim says.

“Sure, whatever, you know it,” Gerard answers. He means it. They know him just as long as they know each other. He’s close enough to call family.

“Thank you boys,” he says and explains his problem.  
Pastor Jim isn’t the youngest man anymore. He can’t be running around, chasing zombies and witches and vampires. He’s more like a source for information, ammunition and a place to crash if you should need it. Holy water and crosses as well. It’s good to know a holy man these days.

~+~  
William is in the kitchen when they come down the next morning. It’s way too early for Gerard and Mikey is rubbing his eyes. His hair a mess.  
The Letos are nowhere to be found. He is sure they are still sleeping safe and sound. Kind of unfair if you ask him.

“Coffee?” William asks, smiling as he looks up from something he was doing. Gerard brain doesn’t want to process anything right now.

 _He’s writing_ Mikey says.  
Gerard nods and it’s an acknowledgement of Mikey’s thoughts as well as an answer to William’s question.  
Gerard collapses into one of the chairs and cradles his head in his hands. It’s really too early for this shit – or any shit. Really.

“You’re up early. Heading out?” William wants to know as he puts two mugs of coffee onto the table.

“Yeah, there is something we have to take care of. Bob and the Letos are gonna stay here. You’ll be okay.”

“I can stay home alone for a few hours. It doesn’t freak me out,” William answers.

Gerard smiles. “I know.” He takes his mug and adds sugar, stirs, takes his first blessed sip of the day. “Coffee makes the world a better place,” he sighs.

Mikey smiles and William snickers. He sits down and takes sip of his tea. “Want breakfast or just a morning cigarette?”

“Just the morning cigarette.” Gerard says, he doesn’t feel like eating at all.

“Tell Bob and the brothers that we’re out?” Mikey asks.

“Sure.”

~+~  
William is doodling on the couch when the Letos come down a few hours after the Ways are gone.

“Morning, pretty,” Jared says and William makes himself not blush.

“Morning,” he answers, not looking up from the doodle. He is doodling the vampire Gerard gave him. He used to trace the lines with his fingers when he was still _there_. It made him feel better knowing that a random stranger out there wanted to help him. He finds comfort in the lines now as well.

“Ways still asleep?” Jared asks.

William shakes his head. “Had to take care of some business. Will be back by dawn they said.”

“Fuckers, could have told us,” Jared huffs. “They did leave some coffee, right?”

“In the kitchen,” William answers.

“You had breakfast yet?” Shannon wants to know.  
William shakes his head. He doesn’t feel hungry, he feels itchy. Like he needs to shift and soon.  
Jared’s cell rings just as William sits down with his tea at the kitchen table. The conversation is short and when Jared hangs up on whoever it was he looks grim.  
“No breakfast for us, right?” Shannon asks, he is up already and putting unused plates away.

“We get something later. Get our stuff.”

“Everything or…?”

“I guess we’ll be back by tomorrow morning,” Jared answers, carefully. Shannon nods. “You should eat something, pretty. No matter if we’re here or not, got it?” he adds in William’s direction.

“Got it.”

Jared smiles at him. “Feel kissed right now.”

And William can’t help it, he blushes again. “Stop teasing the kid and move,” Shannon says, rolling his eyes at his brother.

~+~  
Gerard is running like hell and he hates running. This should have been a normal salt and burn and now some guys are chasing him and his brother through the fucking woods. He’s sure they’re out for blood.

~+~  
“Where is everybody?” Bob asks as he comes out of his study where he slept or worked or both.

“On missions.” William answers.

“All of them? Together?”

“No, the Way brothers went out really early and then a few hours ago Jared got a call and they headed out as well.”

“Okay…” Bob says carefully. Something about Bob’s tone doesn’t sit right with William.

“You’re worried.”

“I have a feeling,” Bob admits and then his phone rings. “Gerard? I can’t hear you. Where the hell are you?” he tries a few times more, scribbles something down on a corner of an old newspaper and hangs up.

“I don’t like the sound of this…”

“Can you stay alone here for a while? Until Emilie comes back?” Bob asks.

“Sure,” William answers and doesn’t ask any questions. Bob doesn’t look like he has the time to answer them anyway.

“Okay, be back as soon as I can. Don’t open the door. If something happens…here,” he says, tossing William a key. “To the basement. It’s the safest place in the house. No one will make it in there.”  
William nods.

~+~  
 _Did you reach Bob?_ Mikey asks.

 _Yeah, not sure he can find us. The reception was crap._

 _Great, what the fuck is going on?_ Mikey sounds calm in his head like he is thinking about it while he’s hiding from people who want to kill them. _You know that they’re hunters, right?_ Mikey says. He sounds like he doesn’t want to say the next thing. Gerard sees a flash of it in his mind away.

 _No way!_

 _I’m sure they have Pastor Jim and made him talk._ Mikey says anyway.

Gerard really doesn’t want to think about it. _First we get out of here, even if we have to kill every one of them…_

 _Okay. And then we’re gonna get Pastor Jim… Think it was a good idea to leave William alone and unprotected?_

 _He’s at Bob’s and the Letos are there,_ Gerard answers, but he doesn’t like this. Not at all.

~+~  
“Okay, what the fuck is going on here?” Shannon asks, he lights a cigarette for himself and one for his brother while he watches the house burn. They made it out just before Shannon got really pissed at these guys for shooting his brother and set the whole fucking house on fire. With everyone who was still inside.

“A fucking trap. They wanted us out of the way.”

“To get to William?” Shannon asks. It’s not a real question. Jared bites his lip against the pain in his side where the bullet grazed him. He’s not gonna die, but it hurts like a fucking bitch. The wind picks up and the smoke begins to sting his eyes.

“We should get back. Right the fuck now. God only knows where the Ways are.”

“I’m calling Bob,” Shannon answers and does just that as they are walking back to the car.  
Jared breathes and waits while Shannon drives and talks to Bob.

“We’re fucked, right? They want him back, because they think he can ruin everything?”

“It’s so stupid…why now?”

“Maybe they thought he was dead and now that they have Pastor Jim and made him talk…they put two and two together.” Jared answers. “Fuck. You need to patch me up soon.”

“Next motel I see. Bob gave William the key to the basement just in case and he’s after the Ways. Apparently some hunters want to kill them…”

“What a fucking surprise!” Jared spits.

“This seems to be bigger than just a few kids.”

“Torture and rape is big enough for me,” Jared answers.  
Shannon nods.

~+~  
William is worried about the Ways and Bob and the Letos, if he’s honest with himself. He was sure they would call the house, but they didn’t. He’s a bit freaked out. It’s just too perfect that he is alone and that stuff is going down somewhere else. He’ll be alright as soon as Emilie’s home – but she called and said she would be late.  
His skin itches with the need for a change of skin. He gets up and into the bathroom to get it over with. He’s the most vulnerable like this, that’s why he does it alone. He’s the ugliest like this as well. His skin shifting and shedding, his bones taking on new forms. There is skin, flesh and blood everywhere on the bathroom floor. The pain only stops after everything is in place. It takes usually half an hour, but even that is too much to bear on some days. It makes him feel less freaked out this time around. When he looks into the mirror, Gerard’s face is staring back at him. He didn’t turn into Gerard on purpose. His subconscious took over this time. It happens sometimes. It’s easier to let his body do what it wants, instead of fighting it into shape.

~+~  
Gerard knows Mikey is close by and that he’s bleeding. A knife wound before he managed to take out that bastard. He looked a bit like the one from the sketch. Well, there went their chance for questioning, but Gerard really isn't sorry. He just wishes he could do serious harm by wrecking other people’s brains right now.

 _It’s not that bad,_ Mikey assures him.

 _It’s bad enough._ Gerard’s hands are clenched to fists. The remaining hunters are slowly closing in. They are silent like ghosts. They are good.

 _We are better,_ Mikey says.

 _I sure as hell hope Bob will be here soon._ Gerard answers and feels Mikey nod.

~+~  
Jared stares at the ugly ceiling while Shannon patches him up. It stinks and hurts and he wants to kill something, but of course Shannon already did.

“Should have let one of them live…” he says softly.

“Had no time for that shit, Jared, and you know it, but I’m sorry I lost it,” his brother answers.

Jared grabs his hand and Shannon looks down at him. “It’s okay. I’m _glad_ they’re dead.”  
Shannon nods, but Jared knows he isn’t. He doesn’t actually like to kill people with his mind or at all, really. That's why they usually stay away from all things hunter related.

“Here, take these until we get to Bob’s.”

“I thought we’re getting Pastor Jim?” Jared asks.

“Not while you can’t do shit. We are heading to Bob’s,” Shannon says firmly. Jared knows there is no way his brother will back down on this one. He takes the pills and nods.

~+~  
William runs his fingers over his skin. It always feels kind of strange, like he’s not really touching himself. Like he’s touching his body through a layer of something else. Not really another skin…just something. It doesn’t feel foreign. The sensations are just kind of muted. Not right after the change. The first ten minutes after the change and the first 30 after he’s changed back into his own body his skin is super sensitive – like a newborn’s. He doesn’t touch himself during that time at all. He stands still and listens to his inner clock.  
The bathroom he's in has a full-body mirror: an old-fashioned thing in a white frame. He's pretty sure Emilie wanted it or that it maybe belonged to Helena, the Ways grandmother. Usually he doesn't look at himself in it. He only stares at his face in the small one above the sink.  
He catches his reflection out of the corner of his eye. A pale finger running down his ribs, Gerard's ribs, and he can't look away. He faces himself in the mirror and watches transfixed.  
It's like watching Gerard touching himself and feeling a faint echo of it. He wonders for a brief second if that's what Mikey is feeling.

~+~  
He hears Bob's voice just as he thinks they're not gonna make it after all. They have no ammunition left and Mikey is still bleeding and still saying that it's not that bad. As if he could fool Gerard. Gerard can feel his fucking pain.

 _Thank fucking god_ Gerard sighs.

 _We would've made it,_ Mikey answers. Gerard isn't so sure, but he keeps quiet. It's not like Mikey wouldn't know anyway.

 _The best thing, is for us to let Bob handle this right now,_ Mikey says.

 _Yeah._

~+~  
Mikey is lying in the back-seat of Bob's Ford. Patched up, but Gerard's mind is still a haze of worry and pain.

“I'll live,” Mikey says.

Gerard knows that. “You're in pain and” _I want to fucking kill them all._

“I know.”

“We think they have Pastor Jim,” Gerard says to Bob.

“The Letos were on a mission...” Bob answers.

“Well, fuck!” Gerard says, getting his phone. The Letos aren't hunters, they don't do missions, except when someone really is in deep shit. He drums his fingers on the dashboard while he waits for the call to connect and hopes to god they'll pick up.

“Gerard,” Shannon says. He dialled Jared's number, but he's not picky right now. “You're alive.”

“Yeah. Fuck, you guys okay?”

“Heading back to Bob's. Don't think William should be alone. I'm sure they want him.”

“You guys okay?” Gerard repeats.

“A bullet grazed Jared,” Shannon says, he sounds still angry. Gerard can relate.

“But he's gonna make it?”

“Yes, he'll live. He's bitching me out for heading to Bob's right now.”

“Thank fucking god...” Gerard sighs with relief.

“Are you guys heading for Pastor Jim?”

“Mikey got stabbed,” Gerard answers.

“Meet you there then.”

“Yeah.”

“This whole disaster has one good point to it.” Mikey says from the back-seat.

“What?” Bob asks.

“They are afraid of us,” Gerard finishes Mikey's thought.  
Bob puts his foot on the gas.

 

 **~10~**  
They arrive at Bob's at the same time the Leto brothers do. The house is quiet and dark and Gerard feels his stomach drop.

“Well, fuck!” he hears Jared say. He nods. Bob helps Mikey out of the car and Gerard, Shannon and Jared run to the front door. Gerard is sure Jared works on adrenalin and painkillers.

“Just find him, okay?” Gerard says. They nod.

~+~  
William is in pain and covered in blood and skin and flesh. His own flesh and blood and pieces of bones that aren't needed anymore. He's still naked and he's shivering, not only from pain and cold, but from his orgasm as well. It was unexpected and wrecked his whole body with how good it felt. He thinks he might just pass out from it all on the bathroom floor.

~+~  
Gerard is frantic and he knows it, there is no indication that someone was even in the house. William should be okay, but why the hell isn't he answering them?  
He can hear Jared screaming William's name as well and Shannon and maybe Mikey from the living room where Bob left him on the couch before he went to see if he could find Pastor Jim. Gerard is sure he called Emilie at the hospital and that she will be here soon.

“Bill! God fuck! Answer me!” he screams pushing doors open one after another. He can see Jared at the other side of the hallway, they're making their way to the middle in quick movement.  
Jared opens the bathroom door first, but Gerard is right behind him.

“What the hell?” Jared says, Gerard pushes him away and rushes inside, he reaches out without thinking, because he needs to do something _NO!_ Mikey screams in his mind, but it's already too late. Gerard's hand closes around William's arm and William moans. It's low and kind of sexy and Gerard freezes in place. As does Jared for a second. Then Gerard watches as he grabs a towel, wets it in the sink and gets to his knees in front of William; who is sitting on the cold bathroom tiles.

“Hey, pretty...look at me?” he says softly and William's eyes flutter open. He doesn't look like he's in pain, he looks like he's in some kind of ecstasy. Gerard swallows, lets go and steps back.  
“I'm just gonna clean you up a bit, is that okay?” Jared asks. William blinks and then nods. “Gerard grab a fucking towel and help me here, would you?” Jared says, he's not looking away from William's face. Gerard nods.

 _For god's sake, do what he says, would you?_ Mikey's voice says in his mind and he shakes his head to clear it a bit. He is so fucking relieved. And so fucking confused by all this. He takes a clean towel from the counter, wets it and kneels down next to William. He is fucking thin, delicate even. And the blood and flesh and skin on him, around him... _Stop admiring the fucking aesthetics!_ Mikey sounds amused and Gerard doesn't feel too guilty about it.

“Just stretch your arms out?” Jared coaxes, his voice still soft and careful, and William does. He's kneeling naked on the floor, his arms outstretched like he's spreading his wings, breathing hard. Gerard just can't not admire the aesthetics. He touches William's shoulder with the towel carefully just as Jared does on his other side. They work in silence, running the wet towels over William's skin, who doesn't seem like he can suppress the shivers and moans. And Gerard knows he's not only in pain anymore.

“Fuck...” he breathes out, because this is really getting to him.

“I'm gonna touch you now, pretty. Just nod if it's okay?” Jared says. William's head jerks in his direction and he nods franticly.  
Gerard watches transfixed as Jared's finger run down William's side, the curve of his shoulder, his collarbone and everywhere he touches the skin knits together. Heals up like there never was a wound at all.  
 _Oh..._ Mikey says, and it sounds like a breath in Gerard's head. Gerard puts the bloody towel away and just watches Jared heal William. _It's kind of erotic..._ Mikey adds with a hitch in his voice.

 _It fucking is._

~+~  
“I'll help you up now and we get you into the bathtub, okay, pretty?”

“Yes...that would be nice,” William answers. He is biting his lip. Now that he is aware of his body again, he can only imagine how he looks. Wanton, flushed, half hard again and he tries desperately to keep any moans and hisses in. Tries to breath normally again. But it felt so good when Jared touched him, felt so good to see Gerard while he felt good.

“Do you need help?” Jared asks.

“No, no I can manage now. Thank you,” William whispers.

“Okay...just call when you need something. We'll be outside.”  
William nods and watches as the door closes behind them. Well, fuck.

~+~  
“I was wondering...” Gerard says.

“Well, I can only heal other people, not myself.”

“That kind of sucks,” Gerard answers. Jared nods.

 _Makes sense although why Shannon got all pissed off and nuclear on the guys who tried to kill his brother._ Mikey says.

 _Would have been the same if it were you or me,_ Gerard replies. He itches for a cigarette.

“I need a smoke,” Jared says, sinking down carefully to the floor outside the bathroom. Gerard sits down next to him and gets his pack out. He lights one for Jared and one for himself: leaves bloody fingerprints on the filter. “Thanks.” Jared takes a deep drag, closing his eyes and Gerard stares at his lips as he does it. Jared has really pretty lips.

 _It's pretty epic, one brother can kill people with the fire he makes with his fucking mind and the other can heal people with just a touch....no wonder they didn't tell anyone about it._ Mikey says.

“Want me to heal your brother?” Jared asks after a short while of silence.

“No...I mean, yes. I don't know. Does it hurt you?”

Jared shrugs. “Not really. I just kind of do it. It was always like this, you know?”

Gerard nods, he does know. “Yeah, I guess.”

“I'm gonna heal Mikey in a few minutes.”

“Thanks,” Gerard answers.

“It's okay...” Jared replies and then with a smile: “Where you turned on by him?”

“What?”

“Because I kind of was...” Jared says softly – a hint of shame in his voice.  
Gerard nods.

~+~  
William sinks into the warm water and doesn't try to listen to the conversation outside the door. He was pretty much out of his mind and everything could've happened to him. Fuck, what was he even thinking? That he didn't want people to know about how much of a freak he really is...and now they know anyway.

~+~  
Emilie puts a healing charm around Jared's neck when she's done patching him up like only a doctor can and he nods his thanks.

“No problem. So they're scared?”

“Seems so,” Gerard answers, waving his cigarette. Bob called on hour ago from Pastor Jim's place. It was deserted. It doesn't look good for him, Bob said.

“They're doing stupid things then,” Emilie says, taking a sip of her tea.

“Still, they know who we are and we don't know who they are and they're going to try again.” Mikey throws in. He's sitting close to Gerard for the comfort and to ground Gerard, because he's still shaken up by the whole thing.

“There are a lot less of them after today,” Shannon says into the sudden silence and Gerard smiles at him.

“Could be only the leaders left...” Mikey adds.

“Exactly my thinking.”

~+~  
Bob gets a call the next morning and wakes them up.

“A hostage exchange? Are they insane?” Jared asks, he is still moving carefully, but a lot more aggravated than the day before.

“Is that a real question?” Mikey throws in. Jared shakes his head.

“The words were, I quote: The pastor surely means more to you than a shifter-freak.”

“Yeah, no,” Gerard says firmly.

“What he said,” Jared adds with a nod in Gerard's direction.

“Look, they’ll all be there for the exchange. We're taking these fuckers out. They don't know about us. They don't know that we are all freaks of nature,” Shannon says calmly.

Emilie nods. “What he said.”

Bob looks from one to the other as if they were kind of crazy than just shrugs. “We have work to do.”

 

 **~11~**  
Sometimes Mikey isn't so sure if he finds something hot or if his brother does. A fact of his life is that everything filtered through his brain from his brother's and Gerard usually discovered stuff first.  
Mikey's taste is similar to his brothers, but he really can't say if it's just the way he was born or if it's how he was raised – by Gerard.

 _It's no use to think about it now,_ Gerard says from the back-seat. He's taking a drag of his cigarette.

 _I know, just can't help it. I don't think I would've found Bill hot if I didn't see him through your eyes..._ Mikey answers, his eyes on the road in front of him.  
Shannon is sitting up front with Mikey. Gerard doesn't really care. He doesn't think any brothers could be closer than Mikey and him.

 _I'm not sure, I should be sorry for that._ Gerard sits up and stares at Mikey's back.

 _I don't think so. It just makes things complicated – I mean more than they already are._

“This is really kind of disturbing, I just know you guys are having a conversation...” Shannon throws in.

“Yeah...sorry.” Mikey says.

“No problem, just can I turn on the radio?” He doesn't wait for an answer, just fumbles with the buttons until he finds a Misfits song he settles on.

 _Have to love the Letos,_ Gerard says.

 _I know who you love and it's not the Letos..._ Mikey snickers.

 _How very mature of you._

 _Not my fault you are sharing your sex life with me._

Gerard waves it away with his hand. _Back at you._  
Mikey grins at him through the mirror.

~+~  
They stayed up as long as they could. Emilie made charms until she couldn't stand anymore. Everyone of them knows that they will drain her of her power when things should get really bad. Bob wasn't too excited about that idea, but Emilie stayed hard on that one. “I'm no use in a fight, but I can do that and I can do that from here and I'm good at keeping you guys unharmed should we need it.” She had said and Bob had nodded once. Grim and not at all happy, but they all knew that it was a good idea. That they would need the help.  
William is with Bob, up front. Jared too. An ambush would not make any sense. They are up against hunters and hunters are a crazy, paranoid bunch. The only good thing is that they don't know about the brothers, William thinks, or Emilie. He's afraid. He knows that they won't let anything happen to him, but he is still afraid. Pastor Jim is one of them. The Ways have known him since they were little. Their grandmother knew him. William..., he is only someone they met a few months ago and he isn't even human. He's one of the things they are hunting. A thing that hurts people.

“You'll be okay, pretty,” Jared says, he even turns around to look at William. Smiles and adds: “Feel hugged, yeah?”  
William nods.

“This shit will be over soon enough. We just go in, grab the Pastor and get out. A matter of a few minutes.” Bob assures him.  
William knows the plan. It's a good plan – as such plans go, he thinks. He doesn't have much experience with such things.

“And then we're gonna make these bastards talk, get the other children and burn the fucking place down.” Jared adds.  
As plans go, it really isn't a bad one. There is nothing he can do anyway. A life on the run isn't something he really wants. He likes staying at Bob's...he likes the Ways, he likes his life now. William knows it will get a lot harder after...but, right now, if they can get out alive of this, well, that would be really great.

~+~  
The house looks old and abandoned. Just right for something like this. There is a forest on all sides. Good for hiding, not that they are going to. They're going in guns blazing or something like that.  
Bob parks the car and gets out. Mikey does the same. He throws his brother a look.  
“Show-time,” Gerard says and Shannon nods.

~+~  
“Oh fuck!” Bob says as they enter the house in the middle of nowhere. Gerard knew this wouldn't be a fucking piece of cake, of course. He can feel them. Can feel their eyes. They're surrounded. There are at least 20 hunters in the house alone. They must be really afraid or pissed off about the whole fire thing.

“I'm not surprised that the Ways are in on this shit,” Gordon says.

 _I never liked him,_ Mikey huffs.

“Not surprised that you are torturing children for fun,” Gerard answers disgusted.

“They're no children, they're monsters.”

Something in Gordon's voice makes Gerard's blood freeze. _No arguing with him then..._

 _I'm kind of glad about it and hope it doesn't make me a bad person,_ Mikey says.

 _By their definition we're all going to hell anyway,_ Gerard answers.  
Mikey smiles. It always looks a bit creepy when he does it, but it makes Gerard feel all warm inside.

“Where's the shifter freak?” Hanson asks. William steps forward, he was hiding behind Bob, because they told him to.

“Where is Pastor Jim?” Bob asks.

“Here,” Pastor Jim says, stepping into the room. Unharmed, untied.

 _Well, fuck!_ Mikey swears.

“What the hell?” Bob says calmly. He is really pissed off, Gerard can see it in his body language. And Bob is really the most dangerous at times like this.

“I didn't want this, Gerard, Mikey...” he says.

 _I can't believe him!_ Mikey's voice is hard like steel.

“You knew about this. You sold these kids out! Their parents trusted you!” Gerard replies. He is so damn angry. He can feel his calm slipping.

“They aren't kids. They are evil. Possessed and need to be put down,” Pastor Jim answers calmly.

 _He's mad, he's gone mad,_ Mikey says in his head. _We should shot him now and get out of here._

“I can't believe you screwed us like this! We trusted you. Asshole!”

“This means there is some good in you, still. Do you think Helena would've wanted you to help demons and shifters and all the crawling, disgusting, dark, twisted things?”

“Don't you dare bring her into this!” Gerard shouts. Mikey grabs his arm with the hand that doesn't hold a gun.

“Enough!” Gordon throws in, “give us the freak or we're gonna kill you all. On second thought: We gonna kill you anyway.” There is a split second Gerard just knows that Gordon is aiming at Mikey. That he wants Gerard to see this.

 _Don't you dare!_ Mikey shouts.

“Too late!” and then the bullet hits him. All hell breaks loose after that.

~+~  
“This wasn’t part of the plan,” Bob says. They're behind a dining table and William just knows that they need to get out of the fucking house so Shannon can set the whole thing on fire.  
Gerard is still bleeding on the floor. He lies there like a starfish. William can't stop staring at him through the small hole in the table.

“He's not dead,” Mikey whispers.

“How do you know?” William asks. He really hopes that it's true though. Mikey gives him a look. “Oh, right. Thank god.” He breathes and clutches the amulet around his neck.

“Hanson knows about this shit, if he discovers the amulet he'll take it and double tap Gerard in the head,” Bob says.

Mikey nods, a grim determination on his face. “I'll tell Shannon he should just set the whole thing on fire starting from the first floor...hopefully that will make them leave the house in a panic...”

“You gonna do something stupid now, aren’t you?” Bob asks.

Mikey nods, getting his phone out. “Take out as many as you can, but we need Pastor Jim alive. He knows everything.” Mikey sounds disgusted.

“Okay. Not promising anything for the Letos...”

Mikey nods: “They know how important that shit is.” He pockets his phone and gets up.  
William sees how he gets hit a few steps away from Gerard. He feels himself tremble and then his phone buzzes: Feel hugged. It's from Mikey.

~+~  
 _This was really stupid,_ Mikey says. Gerard is in fucking pain, but he really doesn't regret it at all.

 _He knew I would do that._

 _Of fucking course he knew._

 _Good thinking with the fire thing. Might buy us some time._

 _We're not gonna die as long as we wear the amulets._

 _Hanson knows about this shit..._

 _Don't even go there,_ Mikey says, grabbing his hand and squeezing.  
Gerard can feel how his fingers slip in their blood. It's less disturbing that it should be.

~+~  
Bob grabs William's jacket and tugs. “We're gonna run like hell now and try not to get shot, okay? I'm sure they're using silver-bullets.”  
William nods and doesn't ask about the Ways.  
Bob aims for the car, but they don't make it that far before Gordon is in their path. Bob doesn't seem to think twice about it, he just shoots him and William can't say he's sorry for that. He doesn't know the man, but when the Ways don't like him and Bob doesn't think twice about shooting him, he can't be a good person.  
Bob is firing with the Leto brothers close behind them. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Shannon go down and Jared grabbing his brother's hand in all the crazy around them and he just wants it to stop. There aren't that many hunters out here that aren't on fire and William knows that Shannon is doing it. He's out for blood. Everyone seems to be.  
The hunters, William realises, are as crazy, single minded and vicious as the creatures they're hunting.

~+~  
 _Think you can mange to get up?_ Mikey asks. He can hear the fire above them, the gunshots outside and hopes that Bob and the others made it out and to the cars.

 _Maybe this was a sucky plan._

 _Nah, we couldn't know that the Pastor who we’ve known our whole life is a crazy mad man..._

 _Sounds to me like our knowledge of human nature sucks a lot. Maybe we should sign up for a course when we get out of here,_ Gerard answers and Mikey laughs not only in his head. It echoes through the now deserted house.

 _Get up, we need to get out of here._

 _We're not dying, but it sure as hell feels like it,_ Gerard says.

 _Stop being a girl about it._

 _Stop encouraging gender roles._ He answers and gets up. _Hurts like a bitch._  
Mikey squeezes his hand again.  
They make it out on the other side of the house. Taking the front door is not an option.

Gerard leans heavily on a tree and says: “I really need a smoke now.”

“We need to put the rest of them out of their misery and get out of here, but I'm settling for getting to the car and getting the hell out of here for right now,” Mikey whispers back.  
Gerard nods.

~+~  
“It's not like we're invincible,” Bob says to Jared.

“Close enough to try,” Jared answers. He healed Shannon and Shannon nods. His face grim. William is really glad he's on their side.

“There aren't that many left. They're all behind the beat-down truck, protecting their leader,” Shannon sneers.  
Bob thinks about it and then nods.

William glances in the direction of the house. “I'm sure they'll be alright,” Jared says and then: “You're staying here with Shannon, pretty, and me and Bob are gonna raise a bit hell.” He grins.  
William wants to protest, but Jared puts a finger on his own lips and William's breath catches. Jared has really pretty lips. “Don't worry, we know what we're doing. Nothing's gonna happen to you or us,” Jared promises. William nods. There is after all nothing else to do. “I need a small distraction, Shannon.”

“Sure thing!”

~+~  
Something explodes nearby and Gerard's head snaps in that direction. They are close to the hunters who are protecting Pastor Jim.

 _We're taking him now,_ Gerard says. They won't have another chance. In all the chaos and them all thinking Mikey and he are dead, well. This is a fucking perfect opportunity.

 _Right behind you._ Mikey answers and Gerard gives him a thumbs-ups. Mikey rolls his eyes.  
They're like ghosts, silent and deadly. As all the attention is on Bob and Jared, Mikey and Gerard grab Pastor Jim and drag him away. Bob and Jared keep the distraction up until Mikey and Gerard are close to the cars with the Pastor.  
William waves at them and they get in. He hates that they have to leave the Trans Am, but Bob's car is bigger and safer.  
Shannon is behind the wheel. The Pastor is struggling and he reaches over and lets a small flame dance on his palm and then on the Pastor's shoulder. “Shut the fuck up or I swear I'll set your balls on fire.”  
Gerard isn't sure Shannon can do that, but he sounds like he could and Pastor Jim seems to believe it.  
They get Bob and Jared, who is fucking injured again, and make sure that they get the hell out of there.

~+~  
Emilie looks like hell when they get home. She is lying on the couch and looking pale and worn out, but she smiles as she sees that Bob is okay.

“Fuck, fuck...” Bob says.

“I'm okay...just didn't think I would have to keep three people alive at the same time,” she answers, her voice faint.

Jared sits down next to her and puts his hand on her temple. “I'm gonna make you better, so you can make me better...” he mumbles. He lost a lot of blood and doesn't look too hot. The Ways look as fresh as daisies. As soon as Jared got into the car he healed them both. Made it easier on Emilie, but it was too late by then.

~+~  
Bob puts the Pastor into the basement and then collapses on the couch next to Emilie. She snuggles into him, running her fingers through his hair.

 _I don't want to deal with it,_ Mikey says into his mind and Gerard nods. He understands, he doesn't want to deal with Pastor Jim either.

 _We could just let the Letos manage it. They aren't...they don't have the kind of history we have._

 _Wouldn't be fair._

 _It's not about that. I don't know if I can watch when they make him talk,_ Gerard admits.

 _Jared can heal him._

 _I know. That's what I'm afraid of,_ Gerard answers.

 _Oh...okay. I'm still not hot on doing it myself._

“You want us to handle the Pastor?” Jared asks into the silence.

“It would be a pleasure,” Shannon adds. Mikey gives him a look and then smiles.

“No, it's okay...we can manage.”

“Okay, but if you need help, just let us know. We're here.”  
Gerard nods.

~+~  
William stays in the kitchen with the Letos while Gerard and Mikey go down to have a chat with the Pastor. He is pretty sure he doesn't want to know more details. Jared is still in pain, because there is only that much a witch can do, especially one that is drained and weak herself. Emilie patched him up like a doctor would. He refuses to lay down. Shannon has given up on trying to make him. William makes tea for them all.

“I wish he would just spit it out so we could get the kids and shut the whole operation down,” Jared says. His fingers are shaking as he tries to light a cigarette.

“Let me,” his brother takes Jared's hand to steady it and lights the cigarette with his mind. Jared takes a lung full of smoke and exhales slowly.

“Thanks. I really needed that: I bet the basement smells like smoke as well right now.”

“I don't envy them at all,” Shannon adds.

“No...” Jared smiles at William as he puts a mug in front of him on the table. “Thanks, pretty. Aren't you tired? You look tired.”  
William shakes his head. He isn't. He feels shaky and high on adrenalin still and he can't seem to stop staring at Jared's lips as he smokes.

“Take a picture, he doesn't mind,” Shannon jokes and William blushes.

“I don't...I didn't...” he stammers.

“Shannon is being a dick. It's fine. Really. I like when people are looking at me.” Jared says it with a wicked smile and William's breath hitches a bit.

“Are you flirting with me?” he asks, softly. Uncertain.

“Do you want me to?” Jared asks back

William bites his lips, he doesn't know. “Maybe?” he answers, tentatively.

~+~  
It turns out that Pastor Jim really isn't too big on the pain. He breaks down an hour into the interrogation: he spills names and places, and Mikey is glad for it. He doesn't enjoy this, but he knows Shannon would. That's why he's here with Gerard.

 _What are we gonna do with him now?_ he asks as Gerard lights his...Mikey lost count of how much Gerard smoked in the last hour, maybe it's for the best.

 _I have no idea._

 _The police?_

 _Only if Bob's contact can make something up...he needs to be locked up for a long, long time._  
Mikey nods.

~+~  
William falls asleep on the couch and no one tries to move him or wake him up. It's okay, the couch is pretty comfy.  
He hears noise – a soft curse – and his eyes snap open. Years of habit die hard and he doesn't sleep too deep anymore. He sits up.

“Did I wake you up?” Gerard sounds half asleep and a bit guilty.

“Yes, but it's okay...can't you sleep?”

“No, I'm gonna make coffee,” Gerard answers.

“That won't help with the insomnia,” William says, getting up from the couch. He can feel Gerard's eyes on him, trying to adjust to the darkness of the room.

“No, it won't...” Gerard replies, making his way over to the kitchen.

“You want company?” William asks tentatively.

“Sure.”  
Gerard closes the door shut softly and switches the small light on. It's enough to see what you're doing. “You want some tea?” he asks.

“Yes, thank you.”  
Silence falls around them as Gerard prepares their drinks. William is feeling tired and hyper aware of everything at the same time. The soft click of the mug in front of him lets him look up.

“You shouldn't be up.”

“What are you going to do with the Pastor?” William asks and bites his lip. The Pastor didn't do anything to him, but he knows that he organized all this. He doesn't know how he feels about it.

“We don't know yet. We're keeping him here for now.”

“And the other people?”

“Arrested as soon as Bob gave the police a tip or still on the run...”

“The kids?” William asks.

Gerard bites his lip. “Dead, they killed them all...wanted to clean up their mess.”  
William takes a deep breath. It doesn't help. He didn't know any of the other kids, he didn't, but still. ”I'm sorry,” Gerard offers.

“It's not your fault. You tried to help. You helped me. You didn't know me. I was just a hooker to you. I wasn't even worth saving...”

“Don't say that! You were worth it. You _are_ worth it,” Gerard interrupts. “I really want to hug you right now. Feel hugged, would you?”

William bites his lip. “I would like a real hug,” he says after a short silence and to his credit Gerard just gets up and hugs him. William clutches the sleeve of his sleep-shirt.  


“It will be alright, you'll see,” Gerard whispers and William believes him.

~end~


End file.
